


Memories

by o_b_s_e_s_s_e_d



Category: Gravity Falls, Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Gravity Falls Spoilers, No Smut, There's supposed to be a plot?, dipper is not a morning person, dunno really, getting to know everyone, go look somewhere else - Freeform, i believe crying makes you stronger, i love mabel and the grunkles, just making stuff up, kissing in general, kissing under the stars, not really sure what I'm doing rn, pacifica suffers problems with her parents, people will cry, ples dont hate me, probably slow updating, so ignore S3, star is my favorite, this has suddenly become a million times harder now that S3 svtfoe has come out, we are not weaklings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-11-08
Packaged: 2018-12-03 13:23:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 27,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11533113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/o_b_s_e_s_s_e_d/pseuds/o_b_s_e_s_s_e_d
Summary: Star and Marco have a school field trip in the summer to Gravity Falls and meet Mabel and Dipper. They bond and stuff, but a force of evil that everyone thought had been vanquished comes haunting back once again. Idrk where I'm going with this, it's mostly just so I can have Dipper and Pacifica kiss (oh no I said too much!!!) Also Starco because they're my children.PS: I DONT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS ALL RIGHTS GO TO RESPECTIVE CREATORS{On temporary or permanent hiatus because my brain is fried from this fic and tbh I'm bored of this story, I'm sorry. If anyone has ideas or suggestions on how I can make this better or continue it (because Lord knows I need the encouragement), feel free to throw them out there and I'll see what I can do}





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright this is my first fanfic published online, I really hope it's good. I think about writing it a lot but it doesn't really get done...I'm loaded with school and swimming a lot of the time so like yeah please be patient i love you guys!!!

“Mega NARWHAL BLAST!!!!” Star jumped into the air and unleashed the spell at two monsters threatening to corner her. Somewhere behind the monster-fighting high she usually got that clouded her senses, she hear Marco’s occasional, “Hiii-YA! Hah!” Followed by the grunt of a fallen Ludo soldier.  
The street was in ruins and Ludo gnashed his teeth while ripping open a portal with his scissors.

  
“I’ll get you, Star Butterfly! I’ll get you and your wand and your Earth Turd friend!” One of the monsters stumbled before it could get the to portal and collapsed at Ludo’s feet. “Get in!” It’s master screeched, and kicked it into the portal.

  
Star heard Marco’s frustrated sigh behind her and she spun, golden hair flying.

  
“What’s wrong Marco?”

  
“Ugh it’s just, that term.”

  
“What, ‘Earth Turd?’”

  
“Yes!”

 

“What about it?”  
“It just feels patronizing. I don’t know, I just don’t like it Star. It feels like racism.”

  
“What’s racism?” Star asked.

  
“It’s believing that one race or group of people are better than another group of people.” Star flashed a nervous grin.

  
“Ohhhhh. Don’t worry about it Marco, it’s not a thing on Mewni. Only two people have ever called you Earth Turd.”

  
“Pony Head isn’t a person.” Marco said through gritted teeth. Star put a hand on his shoulder and walked him down the street, back to the Diaz household.

  
“Well then, as next in line to the throne, which, um…” She fumbled with her wand. “Idon’treallywannathinkaboutbutI’llgetridofitsoon.” She finished quickly, the words burning in her mouth.

  
Star didn’t want to think about the Queen.  
Star didn’t want to have responsibilities.  
Star didn’t want to imagine even becoming the Queen. For her to be Queen, both her parents had to be gone-o.  
She wrapped a hand around her elbow and felt a nudge coming from her left.

  
“Aw, Star don’t sweat it too much. You’re right, it is just two people. Don’t think about your future, just relax! We’ve got the whole summer ahead of us.” Star smiled, thinking about how her best friend always knew how to cheer her up.

  
“True, buuuut…” They shared a look, threw their heads back and moaned, “One week, two days and six hours until school gets out!” They erupted into giggles and Marco pushed the door open to his house.

  
They were met by incessant barking and laser blasts at their legs. The litter of puppies that Star had made her first day on Earth greeted them at the entrance.  
“Hi everyone!” Star said and sat down to hug them all, pulling Marco down too.

  
“Woah!” He shouted and landed on his stomach, the wind knocked out of him. He groaned and froze when a puppy reached both paws out and settled them on his cheeks.

  
“Aw. Hey there.” Marco had warmed up a lot to the puppies in the time that Star was here, and in no time at all, the duo was rolling on the floor laughing and playing with the dogs.

  
“Star, Marco. Whenever you’re done, can you meet me in the kitchen?”

  
“Okay Mrs. Diaz! But first...WATCH OUT!!” Star pointed a puppy at her and pretended to shoot a laser at her. She clutched her chest in agony and collapsed against the doorframe. They laughed and Marco helped Star stand.

  
“We can join you now, Mom, we’re not really doing anything,” Marco said, and they joined his parents in the kitchen. Papers and envelopes were strewn all over the table. Checklists and manuals and pamphlets, all contained the school logo on them.

  
“We received the forms for the school field trip for the summer,” Mr. Diaz explained, handing each of them a letter. “If you’re interested you can read the papers and we’ll turn them in immediately.”

  
The two read and digested the letter and Marco set his down first.

  
“Gravity Falls?” He said.

  
“‘Gravity Falls is a place filled with wonder and fun,’” Star read aloud from her letter. “‘It is a great opportunity for you to get out of the city and into the woods, where you’ll have fresh air and see the critters of the forest.’” She put her paper down too. “Marco let’s do it! It’ll get pret-ty boring pret-ty fast over here. I know for a fact.” She pointed her wand at him and a little spurt of magic shot out the top. He looked at her, a skeptical look on his face. “Stop being such a safe kid Marco!” She turned to his parents with a pleading look. They returned the look to Marco and his scowl deepened.

  
“Marco, Marco, Marco…” Star chanted in his ear until he threw up his hands.

  
“Alright, I’ll go!” Star let out a pitch perfect scream and snatched his arm, flying up the stairs to her room. Slamming the door shut, she shoved Marco onto her bed.  
“Ok, ok so I need a suitcase.” Shining her wand to the ground, a suitcase as tall as Marco appeared. “And I need clothes…” Star ran to her closet and pulled down every dress she owned and shoved them into the suitcase. Marco ran off the list of items that they would need for the trip. They did the same in Marco’s room and they sat his suitcase closed.

  
“Alright,” They let out a sigh of relief and exhaustion. “I think that’s everything.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

“Alright,” Dipper said. “I think that’s everything.” He paced his room, holding a checklist in one hand and a red pen in the other. Mabel was sitting on his bed, adding stickers to the cover of another scrapbook. She’d made one for every year that they went to Gravity Falls. This would be her third book.

  
“This summer is going to be so much fun!” Mabel said, sliding off the bed. “Just think! Back with Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford in the Mystery Shack!”

  
“Back to all the mysteries and monsters!”

  
“Back to Weeeendyyyyyy.” Mabel nudged her brother and he shoved her a little with his shoulder.

  
“Shut up Mabel.” They both laughed and they grabbed their suitcases to head downstairs. Dipper’s feelings for Wendy had waned the first month that he came back from the summer. They were replaced by a happiness that lit behind his sternum whenever he thought of her. Wendy really was the coolest girl he knew, and she seriously valued him as a very close friend. He was always determined to never forget that or take that for granted.

  
The squealing of a pig scratched their ears and Mabel dropped her suitcase, running.

  
“Waddles!” The pig had grown so much that by now none of them were able to pick him up. “Woah!” Dipper yelled, and tried to grab Mabel’s suitcase as it began to tumble down the stairs. He ended up slipping and bumped down the last couple of steps till he landed on the bottom.

  
Yup. His butt would be bruised for a few days.

  
Waddles wandered over to Dipper’s prone body, sniffing around. He raised his head up and gave one little snort. Dipper reached out to pull him a little closer. High school turned out to be a super weird place for both him and Mabel. They went through mood swings often, and even though they had each other to pull them out of places, the pressures of high school and growing up often led to periods of dark times. During these phases, Waddles was always there to pull them out and have them remember their summers at the Mystery Shack in Gravity Falls.

  
“Mabel, what time is it?” Dipper asked, grimacing as he sat up. She came over and peered down at him, mouth scrunched to one side.

  
“I think it’s time for you to get some coordination skills.” Dipper glared at his twin and grasped her unoffered arm, pulling himself up.

  
“It’s 1:47,” a voice called from the kitchen. Mabel bent down and grunted with the effort to pick up Waddles, and wandered off. Dipper heaved a sigh and picked up both suitcases. Not surprisingly, Mabel’s seemed to have been packed with bricks. Seriously, what does she put in here? He thought and trudged toward the kitchen.

  
Alone.

Which was becoming an odd and uncomfortable norm as of recent.

  
Mabel had set Waddles on the ground and was profusely hugging their parents goodbye. Dipper stood awkwardly in the doorway as their parents unwound Mabel’s arms from their bodies. They came up and hugged him too. His dad rubbed the top of his head and smiled faintly. Dipper was wearing the lumberjack hat that Wendy had given him. Dipper had spent most of the first night back spilling all his feelings to his dad, so he knew how special the hat was to his son.

  
“Have a fun summer, Dipper.” He said.

  
“Thanks.”

  
“And look out for your sister, darling!” His mother said, bending down to kiss his cheek. He stood stone still until she pulled away, and could feel the damp circle of lip gloss on his skin. Blegh. If he attempted to wipe it away, she would continue to kiss him until he stopped struggling, a lesson he’d learned at age 7.

  
“Alright Mabel, it’s time to go.” Dipper said, holding out her suitcase for her. She walked over and took it with a smile.

  
“Thanks Dipper.”

  
They turned and waved as they walked out of the house, Mabel in front of Dipper, toward the bus stop, two blocks away. An early summer breeze picked up, nearly tossing Mabel’s curly hair into Dipper’s mouth.

  
Time had been kind to her. She was no longer the taller twin, but with her braces off, her smile was radiant and beautiful, and filled the halls with happiness. She still had hoards of sweaters that she’d created for just about everyone she knew, just because. Mabel had been born with a seed of kindness that had taken root and bloomed every passing year.

  
Dipper on the other hand, was tall and lanky, the beginnings of chin scruff ever-present on his face. He was good at cross country, (they both were, after a summer of running from monsters), and it was how he’d met most of his friends. He was in all AP classes, unlike Mabel who was mainly involved in extracurriculars and she spent most of her time in the art wing. He’d kind of closed off to the world, and dove into his studies. The world was a gigantic puzzle, and he was determined to absorb every piece of information that he could get from his textbooks.

  
They climbed the bus arrived, each flashing a smile at the driver.The company knew about the Pines Twins and their pet pig, and were always sure to give them a warm welcome whenever they saw them. The vehicle was completely empty like it always was-nobody knew that Gravity Falls existed, so nobody else was on their way there.  
Mabel sat in the middle of the back row talking to Waddles, while Dipper took out a book, but turned to look at the passing city. Thoughts flew through his head, and he finally bent toward the book and began to read.


	2. Chapter 2

“Marco, we’re here, we’re here, we’re here!!!” Star grabbed his shoulder and shook him awake. They’d driven through the night and he’d collapsed over her lap (which she of course, did not mind, and being the great friend that she was, did not move from her position.) It couldn’t have been past three in the morning, and the few faces of the night owls of the class were lit by the blue glow of their phones.  
He opened his eyes just a slit and Star gently cradled his messy head.

  
“Alright you baby. Sit up.” She said, but he smiled sleepily at her and didn’t move. A nervous fluttering started up in her stomach but she pushed it away angrily. He was still staring at her will that dazed smile on his face until she shook him slightly.

  
“Marco come on, sit up.” With a grunt he pulled himself up and looked blearily out the window.

  
“Star whut time ‘s ‘t?” He slurred, running a hand through his hair. Star gulped and shrugged. He sighed and hung his head, casting an uninterested look at the forest passing outside. “Wow. Gravity Falls.” Star nodded and barely contained a squeak when he made himself comfortable on her lap again.

  
“Marcooooo, we’re almost there.” She whined, and did not resist the temptation to slowly pet her fingers through his hair. He seemed to roll into the touch but she looked out the window to distract herself. They passed trees, so many trees she was afraid that the bus was going to lead them somewhere deep into the woods where they would be forced to sleep on beds of pine needles and use freezing cold rivers as a place to bathe. Pale streams of sunlight, soft as silk, filtered through the forest, shining tiny rays of sun into the bus, and the path ahead of them finally broke into the view of a small, cozy town. Star smiled.

A few hours later, Star and Marco were wandering about when they found themselves at a place called the Mystery Shack. A tall and rather large man greeted them.

  
“Hello. Welcome to the Mystery Shack, a place filled with wonder and where dreams come true!” The man waved his arms around in an attempt to emphasize his words. An older teenage looking girl with dark red hair was sitting at the register counter, feet crossed on the table. She was reading a magazine and fiddling with the rim of her blue and white hat.

  
“Soos, quit it. You’re not gonna make anybody buy anything by being creepy like that.” She hadn’t looked up yet. The man ignored her.  
“Please, allow me to show you around.”

  
As the man named Soos was presenting them a wide assortment of bobble heads, the door was launched open and the Mystery Shack shook with the impact. A girl and a boy carrying giant suitcases ran through, screaming. A pig followed, close on the girl’s heels.

  
“Dudes!!” Soos shouted, throwing up his arms.

  
“WENDY!!” The boy shrieked, very girlish-like, and nearly knocked the girl out of her chair. She laughed and held him tight.

  
“Hey Dipper!” The other girl came up, hugging Wendy on the other side, and Soos joined too.

  
“Awww, Marco look!” Star smiled, pointing with her wand. “It’s like there’s some family reunion or something!” A pair of pounding footsteps echoed through the Shack.

  
“I think there’s more,” Marco whispered, and the “Employees Only” door burst open. Two identical men ran out.

  
“Kids!” They shouted, and there was more hugging and crying, and names were shouted. Grunkle Ford, Grunkle Stan, Mabel, Waddles. Star’s head spun a little watching the spectacle in front of her.

  
She clutched her wand, a smile threatening to split her face at all the happiness in the room. Marco had edged away from all the emotion and was now standing in a corner, the hood of his jacket over his head, shutting himself away from the world.

  
“Soos what are you doing? Is that a customer?” One of the old men said, gesturing to Star.

  
“Oh. Sorry dude,” he addressed her. “Just a couple of my friends coming to visit for the summer. My boss lives here and that’s his grand nephew and niece.” A friendly smile was on his face as he waited for her to react. Star awkwardly rolled her wand between her hands and he said, “So. Did you still want that tour?” She opened her mouth to respond when the Shack shook again, but this time the source was coming from outside. She heard the growling of monsters and her eyes widened.

  
“What was that?” The boy, Dipper, asked. It was obvious that he was the other girl’s twin, who grabbed onto his sleeve, looking at the previously shaking ceiling worriedly. One of Ludo’s monsters accidentally face-planted into the window, and everybody flinched.

  
“Oh come on!” The girl, Mabel, shouted, raising her arms to the ceiling. “I just got here!! Give me a break!” Even though Star was confused, she didn’t acknowledge the family.

  
“Marco!” She shouted, and the group turned to stare at her. Marco turned, a bored look on his face. Star pointed out the window with her wand. Ludo and his army was coming toward the Mystery Shack. Marco threw his head back and groaned.

  
“Oh come on! I just got here!!” He said.

  
“See!!” Mabel said to her family. “Somebody understands me!” She shook her head as if to clear it and looked at the two friends. “Wait what?”

  
Star smiled at her. “Get ready to see something amazing!” She said, and grabbed Marco, running out of the gift shop.

  
“Star Butterfly,” Ludo giggled. “We meet again.”

  
“So we do,” Star responded, tapping her wand into the palm of her hand. “And while I’m on vacation too.”

  
“Well, surprise is what I specialize in,” Ludo said nonchalantly, glancing down at his nails. When nobody moved, he shouted, “Get the wand!”  
The monsters flew at her, and she punched, kicked, and zapped her way through the crowd.

  
“You want some of this?” Marco yelled, pointing to his face. A series of karate moves quickly annihilated two of Ludo’s henchmen. Star leaped over another monster, kicking it in the face before landing at Marco’s side.

  
“Rainbow fist punch!” Star screamed, and knocked out even more of them. They fell to the ground one by one, Star and Marco standing and panting. Ludo marched up to Star and she peered down at him with a bored expression.

  
“How do you do it?” He asked. “Why do you hate me so much?” He was clutching his portal scissors in one hand. Star kicked his arm, sending the scissors flying into the air. She caught them and ripped a portal in the air. Grabbing him by the scruff of his tunic, she tossed him in, and the beat-up monsters followed suit.

  
“Byeeeee!!” Marco waved, a smile on his face as if he was greeting a crowd of fans. “Come back never!!”

  
Star looked around and observed the huge mess in the front yard. She turned back to the Mystery Shack.  
“I’m so sorry I didn't mean for-” She paused as the entire Pines family plus Wendy and Soos were staring open mouthed at the two. One of the two older men, who was carrying a can of “Pitt Cola” pointed and said, “Well, that’s enough weirdness for me for the rest of the summer. I’m going inside.” He paused to ruffle Mabel’s hair as he turned, whose jaw had hit the floor. Her brother stood on the other side of her, mimicking her expression. She was the first to break the silence, running and screaming toward Star, who took a step back at her excitement.

  
“Hi I’m Mabel Pines and I have officially named you my new best friend!”

  
“Really!?” Star said, and Mabel nodded excitedly. Dipper came up from behind Mabel and pushed her to the side slightly.

  
“Who _are_ you?” He asked, his eyes sliding to her wand.

  
“I’m a magical princess from another dimension,” she drawled, spinning slowly and drawing a rainbow in the air above her. Both she and Marco looked up immediately, praying that it wouldn’t burst into flames like it did the day they had met. Marco came closer, hands in his hoodie pocket.

  
“This is Star and I’m Marco.” He glanced at Star who was now chewing on her wand and gazing wide-eyed at the forest around them. Two squirrels ran across her path and she gasped.

  
“I love animals!” She said, and pointed her wand to the ground. A puff of magical smoke cleared, revealing a small turtle curled up on the ground. Mabel gasped, then clapped her hands while jumping up and down.

  
“I love animals too! I have four entire pages of stickers of cats! And turtles are my favorite animals!” She squealed, and Star gasped.

  
“Really?”

  
“You know what this turtle needs?” Mabel asked, a sparkle in her eye. Star shook her head. “A total sticker makeover!!!” Mabel picked the turtle up and grabbed Star’s arm, then took off toward the Shack, leaving Marco behind with Dipper. They looked at each other awkwardly.

  
“Is she like, your girlfriend or something?” Dipper asked, jutting a thumb toward the house. Marco took a step back.

  
“Oh, no.” He said, grimacing. “She’s the school’s ‘foreign exchange student’ but I think she should be called ‘inter-galactic exchange student.’ I’m just the kid that hosts the foreign exchanges.” He looked back toward the the Shack. “I couldn’t think of her of anything more than a friend. She’s like a sister to me.” Dipper’s face remained neutral as he took in this information. He stuck his hand out to Marco.

  
“I’m Dipper. You probably heard that but I figured an introduction would be nice.” Marco took his hand and shook it and Dipper jerked his head toward the Shack.

  
“Let’s go inside. Since it looks like our ‘sisters’ have bonded, I have a feeling that we’ll be seeing each other a lot this summer.”


	3. Chapter 3

Mabel and Star were lying on their stomach in the twins’ room. Dipper and Marco were downstairs still, but it wasn’t too important to Mabel at the moment.

“And this was the time me and Dipper traveled back and forth through time to perfect his chances of getting Wendy to like him. It worked but then this girl named Pacifica took Waddles, and I couldn’t have _that_ happen.” To emphasize her point, Mabel brought Waddles closer to her, rubbing her cheek on the top of his head. “So Dipper went back in time once more and ruined his chance with Wendy, all so that we could have this very special addition to our family.” Star clutched her heart.

“Awww, what an amazing brother!!” She squealed. Mabel’s eyes suddenly widened as if she’d remembered something and she spun to sit up, hair whipping over one shoulder.

“So Star,” She said, a tone of mischief in her voice, “Who’s your boyfriend?” Star’s cheeks went pink at the mention of Marco and Mabel knew.

“Who, M-Marco?” She waved a hand in the air. “Pff, I was the school’s foreign exchange student a couple years ago and he was the family that keeps the students until they’re ready to...move on or whatever, I dunno.” She struggled to retain eye contact with Mabel as she said, “He’s one of my closest friends. So close that I would say he’s like a brother to me.” Mabel’s eyebrows twitched slightly like she couldn’t believe it, but kept silent. The hearts on Star's cheeks were as warm as she was uncomfortable under Mabel's gaze. Mabel opened her mouth but instead of prying more about Marco she asked, “So, a foreign exchange student? Where ya from?” She flipped back onto her stomach, hair tumbling perfectly in waves over her back as she continued to thumb through her scrapbook.

“I’m from Planet Mewni. It’s in another dimension. My parents are the king and queen and my mom tossed me to Earth three days after my fourteenth birthday so that I could learn to control my magic in a safer place.”

Mabel tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Hmm...you’d better not tell Dipper about the whole dimensions thing. He’d probably start his own journal trying to piece together how it all works.” Mabel hadn’t look up from her sticker collection and Star thought that she was just talking out loud now. Start his own journal? What did that even mean? She figured it didn’t matter and her thoughts were interrupted by a slow nudge on her elbow. The turtle they’d decorated with stickers, (which Mabel had wanted to call “Bipper” for no particular reason) was trying to find a place to rest. After covering the poor thing’s shell with stickers, the two girls weren’t sure what to do, so they left it alone while Mabel spent the past forty minutes sharing all the details of her first summer in Gravity Falls with Star.

The amount of overlap in their stories was alarming. Star wondered how destiny was able to make such a perfect match with the four of them. The whole fighting monsters thing, Mabel’s series of crushes and Marco’s struggles with Jackie Lynn Thomas (although Star wasn’t sure if she was imagining it, but he seemed to be talking about her less and less.) Star was really really glad that Marco agreed to go on the school field trip this summer.

The boys walked in at some point and the four of them spent the rest of the day getting to know each other.

“Where are you guys staying, since this is a field trip and all?” Mabel rolled her hand in the air as she spoke and Star and Marco shared a look.

“To be honest we’re not really sure.” Marco shrugged. “The bus just kind of stopped nowhere in particular and Miss. Skullnick told us, well more like _yelled_ at us, to leave her alone. It might actually still be there. Gravity Falls doesn’t strike me as a place that has a ton of hotels so we’re not entirely sure where we’re supposed to stay.” The four of them sat there for a moment before Mabel shot up.

“Dipper!” She screamed. “They could stay here!”

“Whaaaaa?” Star’s jaw fell open and Marco’s face scrunched slightly at the thought.

“Mabel are you nuts? What do you mean stay here? Grunkle Stan’s already gotta take care of us, plus Grunkle Ford-” Mabel waved her hand.

“Grunkle Ford lives in a bunker Dipper, he can take care of himself.”

“And not to mention Soos who I guess runs the place now. And Wendy hangs out at the Shack a lot after work too!”

“Dipper it’s just for the summer! It’ll be so much fun!”

“Ok yeah it might be fun, but there’s literally no other room in this entire house to put them! We live in the _attic_ Mabel!” The sibling banter went on, the twins completely ignorant of Star and Marco, who watched them go back and forth. Star wished that she had a plate of Marco’s nachos with her. It would have made it seem like they were watching a scene from a TV show played out in real life before her.

“Not true. There’s still ‘that secret room in the Shack _._ ’ Or did you forget?” Mabel smiled and poked her brother’s arm. Dipper frowned to himself as he twisted the few hairs that decorated his chin. His eyes widened with recognition and his gaze shot to Star and Marco who were both sitting back on their hands, legs splayed out in front of them. Mabel’s eyes flickered down and saw that the pinkies of their hands were twined together. No matter what anybody said, Mabel saw clear as day that they were head over heels for each other.

“Does ‘that secret room in the Shack’ have a dead body in it? Is that why it sounds so suspenseful? Because if it does I’m going back home.”

Dipper stood up, knees cracking as he stretched his legs.

“Nope. No dead bodies. Although there was that other secret room that Grunkle Stan had that led to a giant room full of those wax figures.” Mabel laughed and grasped Dipper’s unoffered hand to stand her up.

“There was nothing in that room except for a carpet that allowed people to switch bodies.” Mabel pulled herself up, yanking hard on her twins’ arm. Dipper swore, twisting his body to lessen the pain.

“Geez Mabel! You almost took my arm out!” He rubbed his shoulder. “Next time, _ask_ to be helped up. You know what? You’re gonna learn to do that right now.” Star watched with wide eyes as Dipper shoved his sister to the ground.

“Hey!” She shouted, arms flailing. She landed with a thunk and she groaned.

“Dip _perrrrrrr._ I named a turtle after you. Can’t you love me a little more?”

Dipper ignored her and sidestepped her arm as she reached for him. “What do you have to do?” He said in tones as if he were talking to a child. Mabel made a big show of rolling her eyes and groaning exasperatedly.

“Can you please offer your arm so that you can pull me up from the ground of which you knocked me down upon because you’re the meanest twin brother in the galaxy.”

Dipper laughed and helped her up. “There now was that bad?” Mabel shook her head and smiled.

“Not as bad as THIS!” And she shoved him against a bed. He landed with a flop and Mabel grabbed Star and Marco’s arms, running out of the room shouting, “Grunkle Stan, Grunkle Stan! Can my new friends stay in the Mystery Shack for the summer? We can move them into ‘that secret room in the Shack.’”

Grunkle Stan’s raspy voice came from the kitchen “Sure pumpkin, whatever floats your boat.” Star and Mabel jumped up and down, squealing. Dipper finally thumped downstairs, looking ready to smack his twin if he got the chance, but when saw the girls bouncing around excitedly, his face broke into a smile.

“I’m guessing he said yes?”

“Yeah,” Marco said. “I feel bad though.”

Dipper flicked his hand in the air. “Ah, don’t be. Except you’re probably going to have to work here.”

“Wait, what? No, no, no,” Marco said. “I’m moving out, I’ll find out where the rest of my group is staying and then-”

“Marco it’s really not as bad as it sounds. There’s no way that you’re going to get Star to separate from Mabel.” They looked over and as if to emphasize his point, the girls broke out of their hug and dashed of the room, giggling. “And you go wherever Star goes.” Dipper waited for a reaction and was not disappointed. The tips of Marco’s ears went red and he looked back at the door Star just ran through.

“True.”

“And-” Dipper spoke, but closed his mouth immediately. He looked back at Marco and said, “I’ve...never really had a lot of friends here at Gravity Falls except for Mabel. And I love her obviously but I feel like she doesn’t care about some of the things that I did.” It was a moment of vulnerability for Dipper, who rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

“If you really feel like I should stay Dipper, then I’ll stay.” Dipper smiled gratefully. He turned to the door that the girls had ran through and Marco followed.

 

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Star was pretty sure that Wendy was the coolest girl she knew. Cooler than Jackie or Janna, or maybe even her mom. Legs propped on the counter, reading a magazine while at work, her voice holding a monotonous “who cares what others think” tone. She listened with rapt amazement at all the adventures that they’d all been on.

“And then Dipper had to ask us for a sign so that he would know which one to kill. Obviously he knew I was me since we’re super tight, and he took an axe to the Shapeshifter.” She leaned back in her chair, a smug look of pride on her face. “It was pretty weird watching Dip kill me.” Star heard footsteps and turned to see Dipper walk into the shop, Marco following not far behind. She brightened when he shot her a smile.

“Ah the good old days,” Dipper sighed nostalgically. He stopped suddenly and glanced out the window. The sun was beginning to lower itself to bed. “Don’t you guys think you should get your stuff? I don’t want the school bus to drive away.” Star hopped off her stool and groaned.

“ _Two_ safe kids? I don’t think I can handle it!” She threw an arm over eyes and arched back. She tried not to jump when she felt a warm hand on her waist.

“Come on, drama princess. Dipper’s right. And I told you I’m not a _safe_ _kid_ , I’m a misunderstood bad boy!” They laughed and the hearts on Star’s cheeks turned even pinker, the tips of Marco’s ears turning the same hue. The late-afternoon air cooled their warm faces as they walked down an acorn and pine needle covered path back to the road.

They set off at a fast pace due to Star’s tendency to skip everywhere they went, and Marco was used to keeping up with her excitement. He smiled quietly to himself as she hopped around in wonder, dashing off the path to look for every little thing-a patch of mushrooms, a beautiful blue flower, two squirrels chasing one another. They finally reached the clearing where the school bus still sat, expected departure time in T-minus two hours and thirteen minutes. The only people present were Janna and Jackie who were lounging around on rocks, smacking at stray mosquitos. Star flashed a brilliant white smile at the girls and and bounced over to them. Jackie looked behind Star and met Marco’s eyes. Though Marco’s heart still stopped at the sight of her, there was never anything awkward between them anymore.

“Hey Marco,” She addressed him first. He gave her a nod but she didn’t catch it because Star had grabbed her by the shoulders and was shaking her.

“JACKIE JACKIE GUESS WHAT??”

“Agh, wha-at Sta-ar?” Star released her and turned around, looking dramatically into the sunset, arms open.

“I. Just met. My friend soulmate!!”

“Heyyy, I thought I was your friend soulmate!” Marco whined, and Star spared him a glance. A thought trickled into her head: _Technically you’re my actual soul mate since you decided to crash the Blood Moon Ball a couple years ago…_ Star flicked her hand, dismissing both him and the thought.

“No but guys, you don’t understand. She’s totally amazing, and she’s got a twin brother and they work at this place and this girl named Wendy is super cool and I’m just so excited for the summer.” Janna was busy tracing the clouds in the air with her finger.

“And why should I care?” Her words slurred together with exhaustion.

“Because we’re _moving_ there!” Janna’s eyes popped open and she sat up on her elbow with a groan.

“Why don’t you just join us at the motel?” She gestured down the path toward the general area of town. Star squinted and said, “Because motels are sketchy, Janna. And I think it’ll be sooo muuuuuch fuuuuun!!! Marco! Go get the suitcases! Pleeeeeeease?” He hunched over and sighed.

“Fine.”

“Thaaaaaanks Marcoooooo.” She put her hands on her hips and watched as he trudged toward the bus. “He’s such a great friend.” She said more to herself than anything, rubbing her wand against her cheek and smiling. The other two girls hummed their agreement sleepily, not really paying attention to Star. Marco reappeared, trugging Star’s giant suitcase and his own regular sized suitcase. He dropped them to the ground with a heavy thud and dust billowed up in little clouds.

“Hm. I guess you aren’t up to drag them all the way back to the Mystery Shack?” She said, and he laughed.

“Are you kidding? But luckily…” He pulled his dimensional scissors out of his back pocket. “I think I can finally use these.” Cutting a hole in the fabric of time and space, Marco gave a grunt as he hefted the suitcase on his hip. Star used her magic to levitate her monstrosity of a luggage bag. Placing her hand on Marco’s back ready to shove him into the portal she leaned back and gave a huge wave and a smile to Janna and Jackie.

“See you guys!” And they went through.

 

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They wound back in the twin’s room, both singing their lungs out.

“Disco girrrrrrrrrl. Coming throuuuuuuuugh that girl is-WAUGH!!” Dipper yelped and fell backwards on a bed. Mabel continued to sing though, dancing to music that only existed in her mind.

“Mabel,” Dipper said, but she grabbed a comb and climbed up on the same bed that Dipper had fallen on.

“Mabel!” She kept going, leaning down to sing in her brother’s face before standing up and singing even louder. Star and Marco watched in amusement.

“MABEL!” Dipper shouted, smacking her ankle.

She stopped and looked down at Star and Marco. With a flourish of her hand, she gestured around the room. “Welcome friends! Please make yourself comfortable in my humble abode!” Hopping down she kicked the door open with a flourish and led them downstairs. Mabel threaded an arm around Star’s and walked ahead of the boys.

“How’d you do that?” Dipper asked, nodding to the scissors in Marco’s hand. “I saw that weird Ludo dude use them but…” He left the rest of his unfinished sentence to hand in the air.

“These are what Mewnians call ‘dimensional scissors.’ You basically think about where you want to go, cut a hole in the fabric of existence, and then go. For example, if I wanted to go home…” He whispered the place in his head and dug the scissors into the air. The portal opened, and both Dipper and Marco stuck their heads through. Mr. and Mrs. Diaz were sitting in the living room together, reading books. They didn’t notice the two boys, and they didn’t make their presence known.

“Wow. Grunkle Ford would spend years trying to figure out how something like this works,” Dipper said, and tried to grab them from Marco who shrunk back a bit.

“Uh, sorry Dipper, but I don’t really let people use my scissors. They were given to me by the guardian of dimensions. The only other person who I let use them is Star ‘cause she like, originated from the place they use this kind of thing.” He fiddled with them before they disappeared into his pocket. Shrugging, Dipper helped Marco carry the suitcases down the stairs to a dusty, unused hallway. The door swung open revealing a room that very much reflected the appearance of the hallway-dusty and unused. There was an old wooden floor, a large section of it dark wood, the rest of it bleached by the sunshine. It was obvious that a carpet was laid there for a long long time. A lumpy looking sofa sagged against one wall, and a rickety desk with a chair shied away in another corner. Other than that, the room was sparse.

The gears in both Star and Marco’s mind were turning, trying to imagine the room once they were all moved in. They could just see it now- Love Sentence posters up on Star’s side of the room, with Mackie Hand action figures on the windowsill for Marco. Star twirled around and jumped with happiness.

“It’s perfect! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She jumped between the twins and hugged them. Mabel was the only one to wrap her arms around her, while Dipper leaned in slightly, a pained expression on his face.

“Wait...there’s only a couch. Where am I supposed to sleep?” The three of them stopped, turned, and looked. Marco stood in the dark square on the ground, while Mabel smushed her hands into her cheeks.

“Awww, does that mean that Marco was automatically giving the couch to _Star!_ Bro-bro isn’t that sooo cute?!” Mabel nudged her twin, whose lips were turned up slightly at the two friends. Star rolled her big blue eyes.

“Pff guys, c’mon that’s not...no.” Jumping up, Star brandished her wand.

“Sparkle glitter _bomb expand!!_ ” Light flashed and puffs of smoke emerged. Star landed back on the ground, a satisfied smile on her face. The room had expanded, and looked much like Star’s own room back at Echo Creek. There was a clear split in the room; one part was very pink and light green for Star, and the other was gray and red for Marco. She glanced back at the twins. Mabel was practically drooling at the burst of magic, and Dipper looked deep in thought, staring at Star’s wand. It was as if he didn’t trust anything he couldn’t explain or understand.

Star leaned in to whisper to the two of them: “By the way, it’s bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.” She straightened and hopped over to the suitcases.

While she busied herself with unpacking, Marco addressed Mabel and Dipper. “Well, I guess it’ll take a while to have everything done. Thanks again for letting us stay.” They exchanged goodbyes and the Pines twins exited, leaving Star and Marco to spend the next forever making sure their home away from home was just perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is way longer-not sure if I should be apologizing? I was really struggling with how to end this chapter but like, I think I did pretty good (???) xD Anyways Chapter 4 should be out really soon


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, so I had written everything on a google doc originally and I had about three and a half chapters ready to go. This may be the last chapter for a while??? I dont really know, it depends on how much computer time I can find and if any interesting ideas pop into my head. So enjoy this next chapter sorry if it's too long (but personally I think it was good.) Please comment-feedback is always welcome.

Marco was always cautious when waking up in the mornings. After dealing with monster arms and Star casting spells in her sleep, he was never really sure what to expect first thing after cracking his eyes open. A slit of light entered his pupils.

Dusty ceiling: check. Bouncy magical bed: check. He tilted his head to the side and smiled in satisfaction when no puppies lasered his eyes. His heart squeezed when he caught sight of Star. She ended up on her stomach, arm hanging over the side just inches away from him, sleeping peacefully. With her halo of hair and the light shining down from the single window above her, she looked like an angel. He swallowed hard, and chucked the thoughts from his mind. _I’m still a thing with Jackie right? Is it just me or had she backed off recently? She always seems to have this mysterious smile when she sees me with Star. There isn’t anything going on with me and Star right? There was no way that there should be, I mean, she’s a princess and I’m just...an Earth Turd…_ Fingers wrapped around his and he jolted. Star gave him a sleepy smile.

“What?” She asked, seeing his zoned out expression. He’d probably been gazing at her without realizing. Despite having just woken up, her eyes were crystal clear and blue, 100% ready for a new adventure. Words clogged in his throat and he couldn’t speak. He swallowed again, mouth dry, and managed in a croaky voice: “You look beautiful.”

She ducked, the hearts on her cheeks turning pinker and pinker. They sat there a moment longer, the silence and unspoken words lying heavily in the air. He peeled the blanket back, bracing him for chilly morning air, but it was warm and dry.

“I’m gonna...go eat breakfast.” Marco nearly hit the doorframe on the way out and he awkwardly tried to laugh it off. He scurried up the stairs, away from Star and feelings he couldn’t explain, and found himself in front of a living room. Grunkle Stan was passed out in a yellow sofa chair, the TV muted. In one hand was the remote and in the other was what looked like a can of beer, except it had a pink label so he figured it was soda.

“Hey Marco!” Someone yelled, shattering the quiet of the morning, and almost made Marco jump out of his skin. He looked around and saw Mabel peeking her head over the wall on the other side of the living room. Marco caste a glance at Grunkle Stan who’s chest continued to rise and fall.

“Mabel, aren’t you afraid you’re gonna wake up your grunkle?” Marco whispered. She waved her hand.”

“Pff, no. Grunkle Stan sleeps like the dead. C’mon in the kitchen, I’m making breakfast.” Marco padded softly across the living room floor and around the corner to where the source of breakfast was. Waddles was sitting by the fridge, staring expectantly at Mabel. Dipper was sitting at the table, mechanically spooning eggs into his mouth. Their eyes met and they gave a small nod to each other, and Marco took a seat next to Dipper. He felt naked and awkward without Star by his side. Why hadn’t he invited her to go up with him? Mabel cut through his thoughts.

“How do you want your eggs Marco?” She was standing at the stove, regreasing a frying pan. He felt bad that she was making him breakfast-he was sure that they would just give him cereal or something, which he was fine with. He was also just nervous trying food from a teenager that he’d just met, but seeing what was on Dipper’s plate, he was sure that Mabel wasn’t a terrible cook. Maybe they could make nachos together sometime.

“Scrambled is fine. Thanks a lot Mabel, you really didn’t have to do that.” She waved him off with a scoff.

“I like cooking. And you guys are my guests.” Mabel frowned. “Where is Star anyways?” Marco’s heart pattered at her name.

“Oh she’s-”

“Riiiiight here.” Star slid into the empty chair next to Marco, and flicked her long blond hair behind her. “Good morning Dipper! Hi Mabel! Hello Waddles!” Her enthusiasm was only matched by Mabel, who asked her how she wanted her eggs, to which she replied scrambled.

“Perfect. Less work for me,” Mabel replied, and she dumped four eggs into the pan, two for each person. In no time, Grunkle Stan was awake, looking around the room bleary-eyed.

“Hey, Pumpkin,” he addressed Mabel. “How’s about you cook your Grunkle up some eggs too, eh?” She was spooning Star and Marco’s breakfast out for them and the steam rose up to greet their faces.

She gave her Grunkle a bright smile. “Sure thing Grunkle Stan!” In no time at all she’d fixed him some breakfast too and poured two cups of coffee. “One for Grunkle Ford,” she said, and Stan disappeared to somewhere to give his brother the coffee.

Mabel finally sat down to a bowl of cereal and a cup of orange juice. “So brobro, what’s the plan for today?” By now Dipper had definitely woken up and had been in a conversation with Marco about hobbies. They had both realized that they had spent much time fighting monsters, and Dipper offered to out for a run with Marco at some point during the summer, but he had politely turned down saying that Ludo would probably be making regular stops this summer and he didn’t want to work himself more than he had to. Besides, karate was a priority, and so was looking after Star. Dipper turned to face his sister.

“We’re probably gonna be on customer duty.” He made a face and Mabel mimicked him. Star’s ears perked up.

“Customer duty?! What’s that?” Three pairs of eyes swiveled to her.

“It’s like…” Dipper looked at his twin for help but Mabel was busy fussing over Waddles who kept walking into the oven like a wind up toy. “We have to sell to customers.” He finished lamely.

“Star, it’s literally what it sounds like,” Marco said, a little annoyed at her dumb questions sometimes. “Maybe we could help?” He offered to Dipper.

“You were just saying yesterday that if you had to work here you’d move back to the motel,” Mabel accused, and Marco was surprised she’d been listening at all. Star laid a hand on his shoulder and wiggled her wand in the air.

“He knows that with me here, I can _always_ make it fun.” Marco’s heart stuttered, but he finger gunned her, hoping that his cheeks weren’t the color of his hoodie.

“True.” He hopped off his chair, narrowly missing Waddles as he decided to take off running to nowhere at all. He squealed as he ran out of the room, and shortly after Marco heard a gruff shout followed by, “Dang it Mabel! I never liked this pig in the first place! Can’t believe I rode a pterodactyl just to save it’s bacon!” Star and Marco exchanged a brief glance, but they’d had their own fair share of fighting demon exes and monsters, so it wasn’t entirely shocking. Marco pointed a thumb out the kitchen door.

“I’m going to change out of my pj’s. I’ll be right back.”

 

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It was still kind of early for the Shack to be overflowing with customers. One or two of the townsfolk stopped by to check in on the twins and to welcome them back for the summer. Star had wandered around, Marco at her heels, while she tapped her chin with her wand, humming and occasionally muttered aloud to herself.

“And then if we just add some glitter over here...Oh and then we could put the tank over here...but do they really want a mermaid on display?” Marco caught her thoughts and tugged her arm.

“Star, what are you doing?” She zapped her wand a couple times, poofs of magic and glitter flew everywhere. Streamers appeared above the dusty shelves of the room, and sparkles filled the cracks in the place where the walls met the ceiling.

“This place is bor- _ing_ Marco. I just wanted to spaaaz it up a bit!” One more spurt of her wand caused a party hat to appear on Marco’s brown head and a party blower in his mouth. He looked unamused as he blew on it, and Star giggled. Marco turned to survey the room. Potted flowers littered the floor, and there was even more glitter and streamers wrapped around about every exhibit. Soos approached one flower with pink petals that drooped in a bell. Green leaves curled into the stem, and the plant seemed to hug itself.

“Hey dudes! I love what you’ve done with the place!” He reached a hand out to caress the flower’s head. The minute he laid his hand on it, the leaves that had seemed harmless suddenly whipped out, edges gleaming in the light. The bell reared back, petals opening with a hiss. There were actual teeth lined up along the pink petals, and it snapped forward, chomping on Soos’s arm. To Marco’s surprise, Soos laughed.

“Ha ha. I think it likes me!” He said as blood began to drip down his flabby arm. The flower let go and prepared for another strike.

“Staaa _aaar!!!!_ ” Marco yelled. Star was clutching her wand to her chest, knees locked together.

“Uh, ok ok I can fix this!” She pointed her wand at the pot. “Returneo flowerio normalreadar!” The plant monster bulged a little as the magic hit it, and it was enveloped in light. Marco and Star held their breath as it suddenly grew, shooting up to the ceiling. The leaves on the stem grew and it’s head drooped, mouth open, and it was salivating. Soos ran through the “Employees Only” door yelling, “Dudes! Dudes you gotta see this! There’s a flower monster in the Shack!” Marco turned a glare to Star who ducked behind her wand.

“Ah...heh heh...I think we’re done renovating the Shack,” Star said meekly. The door burst open and Mabel and Dipper ran through. Mabel tugged on her brother’s arm and pointed.

“Wow Dipper look!! Your very own monster!” She bent her knees a little and put her fists up. “Okay Sir Dippingsauce, how’re we gonna take this one?” Dipper rubbed his chin thoughtfully but before he could say anything, Marco sailed at the monster with a flying kick. At the last moment possible, the flower turned and threw several razor sharp leaves at him. He screamed, more in surprise than pain as a couple of them grazed his arms and legs. He landed in a lump on the floor and Mabel rushed forward with a gasp.

“Ohmygoshohmygosh are you okay Marco?” She pulled him up and he groaned.

“Maybe.” His voice was strained. “Just got...wind...knocked outta me.” As he wheezed, Star approached the flower monster, a frown on her face.

“Why can’t we just…” She blasted some magic at the monster a couple time, and each time, the flower dodged with ease. In no time at all, there were four fresh holes in the ceiling.

“Aw man, Stan’s gonna kill us,” Dipper said observing the ceiling, and cringed when the monster roared, tentacle-like vines growing from the potted soil. They curled up, ready to strike. When they came down, Dipper tackled Star to get her out of harm’s way.

“Thanks new friend!” Star panted, and Dipper helped her up. Soon, the four of them were all on their feet again, facing the monster. The bell jangled and footsteps stopped. Marco caught a flash of red hair in his vision, along with Soos edging along the side of the shop to the newcomer.

“Soos, you’re hurt! And what’s happening?” Wendy’s voice shot through the store, and Dipper turned his head. In that moment, the monster whipped a tentacle out, wrapping around his middle and lifting him up so fast he almost got his head smacked on the ceiling.

“Dipper!” Mabel shrieked, and she pulled a machine out, seemingly from nowhere. “Grappling hook!” She shouted, and aimed the hook at the arm. It sliced through the vine, and Dipper fell to the ground with a grunt. He was up in no time though, dusting himself off.

“Okay, this has gone on too long,” Star said, stepping forward. She took her stance, legs spread, wand out, and closed her eyes. The hearts on her cheeks glowed, as did the half-star on her wand. Marco stepped back, knowing what was coming, and the twins did the same. Wendy stood with Soos at the entrance of the Shack, Soos clutching his bloodied arm. Star spun, and unleashed a vortex of swirling pink and light green magic at the flower. It roared and flailed, knocking over some nearby exhibits and merchandise. Blackness appeared at the base of the monster, crawling up higher, causing the leaves and vines to crumble to ash. In the end, all that was left was a cracked pot that was spilling dirt.

The Shack was a mess; glitter and dirt was everywhere, streamers were tangled and lying on the ground, not to mention the four new holes in the ceiling from Star’s magic blasts. The rack of postcards had been knocked to the floor, and a shelf of Stan bobble-heads had been scattered to the corners of the Shack. At the moment, footsteps pounded through the building.

“You guys are screwed,” Wendy said as she was leading Soos to the house part of the Mystery Shack. They met Stan at the door.

“Hey boss,” Wendy said quickly, pushing past him. “I gotta fix up Soos’ arm. Be right back.” And they disappeared, leaving four awkward and uncomfortable teenagers standing in a ruined Mystery Shack. Stan gaped at the room, mouth opening and closing like a fish.

Mabel stepped forward first. “Um...Grunkle Stan? There was...We were-” He held up a hand, stopping her, and fixed a glare at Star.

“Did you do this?” Star backed into Marco, who wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders.

“Um, y-yeah I did. I’m sosososo sorry though, I didn’t mean to! I mean-I just…” She hung her head, fists tightening around her wand. Her shoulders began to shake, and she pulled herself from Marco’s half-embrace and ran for the door.

“Star!” Marco called, but it was too late. Grunkle Stan jabbed a finger at Mabel.

“Tell her she has to go.” Marco’s breath hitched.

“But-!”

“I’m not keeping a weirdo magical princess in my Mystery Shack. Look at this place; it’s dump now!”

“It was already a dump,” Dipper muttered under his breath.

“Can it, nerd!” Stan snapped. Mabel’s eyes filled with tears.

“I’m not telling her to leave! She’s my new best friend!”

“I don’t care!”

“I do.” The three Pines turned to look at Marco, who was scowling at them. “When Star first came to Earth, I was so freaked out by her that I wanted to do the same thing that you do-kick her out. She had nowhere to stay, and she was just getting used to using her magic. I was so aggravated with her that I told her that if she was moving in, then I was moving out.” He smiled a little at the memory, but his face turned hard again. “She has it tough. Being a princess isn’t easy. She’s got all these expectations piled up on her that she looks for ways to have fun any way she can.”

“Doesn’t _that_ sound familiar,” Dipper muttered again, and Mabel and Stan exchanged a glance.

“Just give her a chance. Trust me, it doesn’t take long, but you’ll come to love her the way my family and friends did.” Stan looked around the room and sighed, defeated.

“Fine. She can stay. But you guys gotta clean up this mess. I want it to be spotless in two hours.” He turned to walk back in the house, but hesitated. He turned, opened his mouth but closed it again. He walked out muttering to himself.

“I’m gonna go check on Star. You guys figure out how to get rid of these plants.” He cringed away from one of them as he walked to the entrance of the store. “I have a feeling that they’re all monsters.”

 

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Star ran, not knowing really where she was going. She passed trees that looked like legs and glowing purple mushrooms. She tripped once, blinded by her tears, but got up and kept running. Eventually, her sobs burned in her throat and she crumpled to the ground, her knees burning on impact. Nobody ever really wanted to take care of her. Her parents kicked her out because she was too much. Marco agreed to take her in out of pity. And now she busted in on the Pine’s household for the summer and Stan was mad at her. He was probably telling Marco right now to pack their things and head to the gross motel with the rest of her school.

At some point, her breathing evened out and the tears stopped flowing. She found herself in a green meadow covered in little flowers. She reached her hand out and they seemed to pet her, and she relaxed some more.

“Well,” She said aloud. “I do like flowers.” She sniffled as she began to collect them, and pretty soon she was running around with a bundle of simple but pretty flowers in her fists.

“Star?” She turned and saw Marco pushing aside tree branches to get to her.

“Marco look!” She held up the bouquet for him to see, but dropped it almost immediately, remembering how she’d found this clearing in the first place.

“Does he….does Stan want me gone? Please don’t tell me we have to leave!” Her eyes filled with tears again and Marco took her hands in his.

“No, we’re not leaving.” He said in a low voice that made Star shiver slightly. “We can stay.” He plucked one of the flowers from her hands and tucked it behind her ear. “You’ll work your magic on them and he’ll learn to love you like I did." He realized what he said by the way her eyes widened and quickly added: "The way we all did.” Star blushed furiously, and time stood still. The breath was sucked from her lungs as she met Marco’s eyes and held his gaze. They turned together, one of Star’s hands dropping to hold Marco’s, while the other hand grasped the flowers like it was a lifeline, and it was the only thing keeping her from exploding. “Let’s go back to the Shack.” Marco said, and they worked their way through the woods, to their home away from home.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow hello it's been like a week I'm sorry. This chapter was written at a million different times. Sometimes I'd only be able to get a sentence down before I have to go, and other times I'll write like a paragraph and then delete it. Sorry if it seems slow right now, but I promise some plot stuff will actually happen...soon.

Sweat dripped down Dipper’s face. The air was hot, thick and stuffy. He was running through a maze with Mabel, glancing back every few seconds to check that she was with him. Every time, he was met by her terrified face. He found the world getting smaller and smaller as his body was smushed next to Mabel’s in a giant black fist. He screamed and thrashed, but it was useless. He felt Mabel shivering next to him and he screamed again with the frustration of being unable to hug her for comfort her. Bill ran back into the main room, where Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford were trapped inside their own cage.

“Alright Ford, time’s up! I’ve got the kids.” Bill announced. “I think I’m gonna kill one of ‘em now, just for the heck of it!” Dipper’s breath lodged in his throat.  _ He wasn’t serious, was he? _ EENIE.”  _ Pine tree. _ “MEENIE.”  _ Shooting star. _ Dipper and Mabel turned in horror, as Bill’s eye illuminated each of their symbols. “MINEE.”  _ Pine Tree. _ “Dipper!” What? No that’s not right. It landed on Mabel. “Dipper!” Dipper looked at Mabel. She’d somehow gotten her hands free and was shaking him. “Dipper wake up!”

He opened his eyes with a gasp. He frantically looked around the room, blinking hard. The walls were gray in the night, the pointed ceiling a pit of black. Mabel was kneeling by his bed, a hand on his shoulder. He sat up and the hand fell.

“Mabel! Mabel, we gotta stop him.” He tossed the covers back, going woozy by the lack of blood flow to his brain. “What do we need, what do we need...Mabel where’s my journal?” He paced the room, looking for the thick leather bound book. His sister stood, looking sad. He glanced over at her. “What are you doing? Why are you just standing there, let’s go! We need to save Gravity Falls!”

“Dipper.” Though she whispered his name, it still pierced the night, and he stopped. There was no journal, there was no demon, there was no danger. He looked at her again, face half hidden by the moonlight, arms open for him. Her mouth no longer flashed with the metal of braces, but he was seeing it all over again-they were twelve years old, and the townspeople were captured and Bill was on the loose and-

He ran into her arms and she squeezed him tight.

“It’s over Dipper. Don’t worry, it’s all over.” She rubbed his back comfortingly as he buried his face into his sister’s shoulder, hating everything, hating his vulnerability, the nightmares that plagued him more often than not, and the feeling of having to look behind his shoulder every minute out of fear.

He didn’t realize he was crying till he sniffled. He ripped himself away from Mabel, stumbling with the force. He wiped at his face and a strangled scream escaped him when he saw his wet hands. He collapsed, crying even harder, shaking and shuddering with the memories of that week. Mabel knelt next to him and he clutched his twin. His other half. He never wanted to let go, never wanted her life to be threatened again, never wanted her to be taken away. 

He woke up sometime later, tangled up with Mabel on the ground. He didn’t even remember falling asleep; Mabel must have been too tired to get back into bed so Dipper had become the bed. He shifted and flinched as her head rolled and landed in his stomach. Putting one arm under her shoulders and another one under her knees, he scooted across the floor and lifted her into her bed. Dipper stood, cautious of a headrush, and stumbled over to the bathroom.

His eyes were red and his bags were purple and more pronounced than normal. He splashed some water on his face, wiping away the crusty mask his tears had left. He rarely ever broke down, but some nights, the nightmares were too much. He clumped down the stairs, his brain barely perceiving anything as he somehow found himself alone at the kitchen table, the faint sounds of a passing car or two whispering in the quiet of the morning.

“Heya kid,” Grunkle Stan’s rasp came from the doorway. He was wearing a tank and his old man shorts. He made a beeline to the fridge, but closed the door when Dipper didn’t respond. “What’s the matter?” He asked, and softened when he saw Dipper’s face. He plopped down in the chair across from him. “You okay kid?” Dipper rubbed his eyes and sighed.

“Was a rough night,” He managed to get out, and punctuated his sentence with a yawn. Stan’s eyes held understanding. They sat together in the silence for a few minutes when Grunkle Ford appeared.

“Good morning, Dipper, Stan,” he greeted them.

“Good for you maybe,” Stan whispered, and jerked his head at Dipper who had laid his head on his elbow, eyes closed. Ford made an exaggerated silent “Oh!” with his mouth and tiptoed out of the room. Stan rolled his eyes at his brother’s awkwardness, and stiffened when a head of blonde hair peeked into the kitchen.

Star cleared her throat. “Hi Stan.” He grunted by way of reply, then felt guilt when he saw Star awkwardly looking around for something to eat. 

“Cereal’s in the cabinet above the sink. Milk’s in the fridge.” Her relieved face spoke volumes, and he left before he could be infected by her happiness.

Star edged around a dozing Dipper on her way to the cupboard. There was only one kind of cereal, but it looked plain so she figured it should be okay. She had to open a couple other cabinets to find the bowls and the spoons, and set the table for two. She poured the cereal and then the milk, and slid a bowl over to Dipper. The milk sloshed and landed on his hand, and he jerked a little.

“I um...made you breakfast,” Star said, as if it weren’t obvious. Dipper smiled at her, grateful that even with the war waging in his mind, there were still friends who would look after him, even though he didn’t even know her that well.

“Thanks Star.” He spooned cereal into his mouth, his hair wildly dishevelled and Mabel appeared, flopping into the chair next to him, settling her chin on the table.

“‘M tired.” She said, then opened her mouth. Dipper dumped a spoonful of cereal into her mouth, splashing milk all over her chin, but she didn’t seem to care. The process was repeated, and the result was a chin covered in milk and no more cereal left for Dipper. When Marco arrived, Star slid her half finished bowl to Marco who wrinkled his nose.

“Star, that’s a common way to spread disease.” She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“Well,  _ they _ did it. And I’m pretty sure Dipper’s as much of a safe kid as you are. So it’s  _ ok. _ ” He picked up the spoon but pushed the soggy cereal around instead of eating it.

“So...what do you guys do for fun around here?” Marco asked, attempting to shovel down one spoonful, but that was all it took to realize that he would not be having breakfast today.

“Hunt monsters,” Mabel and Dipper said at the same time. “Twin jinx!” They said again, and then burst out laughing, finally awake. Dipper was the first to sober and he pondered the question. “Oh, we could go to Lake Gravity Falls. It’s nice over there early in the summer.” 

Mabel’s eyes widened as she gasped. “Oh, oh, oh! And we could have a picnic!” 

Star slung an arm around Marco’s shoulders. “Well my friend Marco over here is a  _ great _ cook, let me tell you. Give him some nachos and he is set for life.” Mabel slammed her hands on the table, looking directly into Marco’s eyes.

“You have been chosen by Mabel Pines to prepare food. Carry this honor with you, as this opportunity may never appear again!” She stood, dramatically shaking her fist at the ceiling and Dipper rolled his eyes. 

“Well Star, looks like the two of us are on fun-planning and packing duty.” Mabel was in the process of opening cupboards when she heard this. She spun around to face the group, shoulders slumping.

“Aw, but I want to be on fun-planning duty!”

“Did you also want to pack?” Mabel wrinkled her nose.

“Not a chance.” 

Dipper smiled at his twin and muttered, “That’s what I thought.”

 

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“Star! You know how much I hate the wet socks!”

“Nobody told you to wear shoes to the beach Marco.”

“But I don’t like getting sand under my toenails either!” Star shook her head sadly.

“Picky, picky, picky,” she said, leading him to where Mabel was sitting among the beginnings of a sand castle. Their laughter and squeals reached Dipper’s ears as he sat alone on a blanket, writing in a little leather bound notebook.

He’d decided that he wanted to keep writing, even after Bill had destroyed the journals. He wrote about anything he could-observations on creatures, normal and abnormal, funny moments that Mabel said, checklists of things that he wanted to do, playlists of his favorite songs. Mabel wanted to call it his diary, but it felt too girly to say something like that, so it was just his journal.

As he was recounting his nightmare from before, a pair of hands covered Dipper’s eyes. He quickly snapped the notebook shut before whoever it was could see what he was writing.

“Mabel?” No response.

“Star?”

“Star? Who’s Star?” A slightly high pitched voice rang through the air and Dipper smiled.

“Hmm...valley girl tone, stuck up and snotty. Sounds like the voice of a Northwest to me.” The hands came off his eyes and a girl with brilliant blonde hair crawled onto the blanket.

It was indeed Pacifica Northwest, but she was no longer the same brat that had begged Dipper to get rid of the ghost haunting their million dollar mansion. She was thinner; not in an alarming way, but her bikini flaunted curves that were hidden beneath Mabel and Star’s modest one-piece, and Dipper forced himself to look away. Gone were the diamond studs and perfectly manicured nails. Gone was the snotty hair flip and the strutting model walk. Pacifica had been reduced to a normal teenage girl when their parents lost their house. She’d struggled with the transition, and had been forced to eat at fast food restaurants. 

She told the twins last summer how sick she’d been for a week, since her parents barely knew how to cook. But how could they? They’d had butlers and maids and a couple servants to do everything for them. Pacifica didn’t even know how to put her clothes up on hangers, much less fold them. Mabel had spent an entire day showing her the basics of household chores. After all, when you had Grunkle Stan as a caretaker for a whole three months, you  _ had _ to make sure that everything was neat and orderly. It definitely paid off to see Pacifica folding one of Dipper’s many plain T-shirts into a messy and wrinkly square. She was holding up the best she could, but Dipper’s gaze caught onto purple shades under Pacifica’s eyelids that were not unlike the ones under his eyes, but he ignored them.

“Star is one of Mabel’s new friends. She’s here on a school field trip with one of her buds, Marco.” Dipper pointed to each person as he said their name. The sandcastle was actually turning out to be quite grand, complete with a moat that came with a flat piece of bark to serve as the drawbridge that they’d found floating in the water. Star was tiptoeing around it, adding seashells to the edge of the turrets, her wand forgotten in the sand somewhere behind her. 

Dipper turned and saw sadness and neediness on Pacifica’s face. Her emotions used to be so well hidden behind an upturned lip and narrowed eyes that when raw emotion was splayed across her features it was impossible not to see how much losing the Northwest Mansion had affected Pacifica.

“You know if you want you can join them,” Dipper offered, and her mask reappeared. She glanced at her nails, a habit that was impossible to break.

“As  _ if. _ Your sister is just so immature.” She glanced up at him, wide-eyed, and quickly added, “No offense.”

This translated to, “Of course I want to, but I can’t.” Dipper was good at deciphering Pacifica-speak since they were thirteen.

She stood, brushing sand off her legs. “I should get going.” She turned to walk away and Dipper suddenly blurted, “Do you wanna stop by the Mystery Shack tonight? You can say hi to Mabel without being, y’know, in public and stuff.” A smile cracked her face.

“Yeah, I’ll see what I’m doing tonight.”

Translation: “I’ll see if I can get sneak out of the house without Mom or Dad screaming at me.”

 

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Marco flopped on his magical bouncy bed, exhausted. Sand covered every inch of his body, but he couldn’t remember a time that he’d had so much fun. When the three of them, Marco, Star and Mabel, had finished building the sandcastle, they belatedly realized that they’d left Dipper behind. Mabel forced her brother to extract himself from his perch on the clean blanket, and shoved him into the murky lake water. He rose to the surface, spitting and brushing his unkempt locks from his eyes. As his twin was doubling over laughing, Dipper sneaked around her. Before either Marco or Star could warn her, Mabel was grabbed by the middle and tossed into the lake, much in the same way Mabel did to Dipper. Her hair was in tangles on her face and with a loud whoop, Star grabbed Marco by the arm and ran into the lake to join the twins. The scream and splash fest must have lasted for at least half an hour.

It also turned out that Mabel and Marco, together, were an unstoppable food force. The friends gorged themselves on sandwiches and cookies. Snacks and crackers were passed around, and they finished their meal with Marco’s Super Awesome Nachos which (to be honest) weren’t the best after sitting in the basket for half a day. 

By the time everyone had a chance to shower, it was almost 9:30. As Star and Marco were preparing for bed, they heard loud laughter and chatter coming from the Mystery Shack. Star was bouncing on her toes.

“More friends?? C’mon Marco, let’s go see!” 

Upon entering the money making part of the Mystery Shack, they found the Pines twins sitting together at the checkout counter, a new girl that neither Star nor Marco had seen yet in close proximity with Dipper. 

She had long blonde hair that cascaded down her back, like Star’s. She wore a tight fitting shirt and jeans, along with a brilliant white smile and eyes like ice.

Waddles wandered over to the three friends and pulled on the laces of the blondie’s sneakers.

“Waddles! Ugh, Mabel do something about your stupid pig!”

Mabel giggled and pushed Waddles off of the girl.

“Well Pacifica, your sneakers aren’t designer anymore, so you can’t be mad about ruining them.”

“They might not be designer but I can no longer afford to even  _ buy _ a new pair of sneakers!” She pushed the pig’s face out of her way and he quickly lost interest, meandering over to Star.

“Aww, hey little guy,” Star said, kneeling down to rub his bald head. Pacifica turned her cool gaze to Star and Marco.

“I’m Pacifica,” she introduced herself. “But I guess you already picked that up.” Her voice reminded Marco of Brittany Wong, but Pacifica did not try to peer down her nose in an attempt to make herself seem taller the way Brittany did, although she was uninviting.

“Pacifica, meet my two new best friends, Marco and Star.” Mabel proudly jutted her arms toward the duo.

“They’re here because of a school field trip.” She continued. “They moved into the Mystery Shack for the summer, so you’re going to see them a lot this summer.” Mabel flashed Star and Marco a smile and gestured for them to join her at the counter. Dipper nudged Pacifica slightly with his elbow and they shared a secretive smile. Marco’s eye snagged on Dipper’s flushed neck, and he smirked. Quietly, quietly, in the back of his mind and a glance at Star, he thought,  _ May the awkwardness begin. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ENTERRRRRR PACIFICAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!  
> Okay so I know this is mostly centered around Gravity Falls so far, I'm sorry I've seen all of Gravity Falls and, I'll be honest, not every svtfoe episode, but I know enough to be able to write this fic. I promise though, that I have a lot of Janna/Marco/Jackie/Star squad chapter coming up. I just haven't found a lot of computer time recently and the ideas are slow at getting into my head. If you guys have any suggestions for future chapters let me know (because I could really use some. I promise that I have a rough plan for the plot, I just don't entirely know how to get there, yknow?)


	6. Chapter 6

Mabel was organizing her socks by color and arranging them in a rainbow on her bed when the noises began in the kitchen. Pots crashed to the floor and shrieks of laughter burst through the twins’ open door. Mabel heard the fridge door slam shut violently and the pop of one, two, three soda cans. She exchanged a look with her brother and they rushed down the stairs to the kitchen.

It was a complete mess. Forks littered the table and the floors, and there was even a steak knife stabbed into one of the backs of the chairs. The wooden floor was turning dark from a knocked over milk carton, and all the cereal had been taken out of the cabinet and knocked to the ground. In the middle of it all was Grunkle Stan, trying to pour three cans of Pitt Cola into his mouth at once, dirtying his suit in the process.

“Grunkle Stan, what are you going?” Dipper screamed, and Stan looked around the room as if seeing it for the first time. He looked down at his soda stained shirt in horror and screamed, “Kids, what am I doing?” Mabel rushed up to him and grabbed the cans out of his hands, taking a sip of one on a whim.

“Grunkle Stan, what happened?” She asked gently. He looked around the room and blinked.

“I don’t-I don’t know…” He replied helplessly. He stooped to pick up the milk carton, and Mabel and Dipper exchanged a glance.

Since Stan had had his memory wiped, he wasn’t truly the same. Yes he remembered everything that was in Mabel’s blessed scrapbook, but anything between getting kicked out of his home as a teenager and creating the Mystery Shack had been ransacked with holes. He was occasionally forgetful, but it was only with recollecting things. A situation like this had never happened before.

Mabel glanced at the ground and found the yellow cap to the milk carton. She picked it up and handed it to her Grunkle, saying, “Don’t worry, we’ll help you clean it up.”

They didn’t _help_ him as much as do it all on their own, but Star and Marco appeared not long after, and offered their assistance too. Star lent her wand and proved to speed up the process in doing so. When the last fork had been put away, Grunkle Stan lowered himself in a chair, still in shock.

“Do you think now you can maybe tell us what happened?” Dipper asked, but Stan stayed silent for a while. A long while. But he finally said, “I really don’t know.”

Mabel hung her head, defeated. “But you were just, throwing stuff around and-and the forks and-”

“I said I don’t know, Mabel!” Stan snapped, but softened when he saw Mabel’s stricken face. He might as well have slapped her. He abruptly stood and left without another word.

The four of them sat in silence, Dipper looking distractedly out the window, seemingly lost in deep thought. Mabel caught Star very slightly nudge Marco’s arm. He turned his head and frowned at her, muttering something silently before Star nudged her again. Mabel looked on in amusement before Marco let out a breath of air, cheeks puffing and he turned to the twins.

“So um, this is probably bad timing but y’know...we were thinking that it would be nice to go out and check out the town. Tour with some friends. Explore the forest. That sorta thing.”

Dipper gave him a strange look. “Sure Marco, you’re not chained to us or the Mystery Shack.”

“But, you guys don’t need any help with...anything?” Star gestured around the room, and Mabel flicked her hand at them.

“Don’t worry Star. Stan’s probably just getting old. It’s no big deal, was gonna happen eventually. Now go have fun!” She said, and the two friends fled the tourist trap, smiling at each other.

 

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“What do you think’s in there?” Jackie asked, close to Marco’s side. Jackie, Marco, Star, Janna, Ferguson and Alfonzo were all standing at the edge of part of the forest of Gravity Falls. It was the first time they’d all hung out together as a group since arriving in Oregon nearly a month and a half ago.

“I dunno,” Janna murmured, creeping closer to the first line of trees. She pushed aside some ferns, peering into the shadiness. Ferguson sighed.

“This looks boring. Maybe we should find someplace else to have fun.” Janna whipped her head around.

“Are you kidding? Forests in a weird old town in the middle of nowhere? Who knows what we could find here.” She curled her fingers to represent claws, hunching her back. “Maybe we’ll find a witch that lives in a smelly old cave deep in the darkest part of the forest.” She prowled around the friends, who unconsciously pressed closer together. “I’ll bet that she steals people’s hand because they steal her stuff.”

“Steal hands?” Star’s nose wrinkled slightly. “That’s-”

“And I’ll bet,” Janna continued, as if she wasn’t interrupted, “that the hands are alive and that they crawl all over the place, like spiders.”

“Sp-spiders?” Alfonzo shivered.

“And if you ever come across them,” Janna’s droning voice whispered into all of their ears.

“They feel like this…” She suddenly appeared behind Alfonzo and Ferguson, scratching wildly at their shoulders. They shrieked, turning and slapping at her hands. Janna cackled as they turned tail and fled, and Marco glared at her.

“Aw c’mon Janna, what’d you have to go and do that for?” She smirked at him, brushing her arm against his as she walked past him.

“They’re boring and would slow us down. Now c’mon! First one to run out of the forest gets judged by me!” Star shrieked and followed her into the shade the trees cast onto the pine-needle covered path.

For a while they were just four wild teenagers, shoving one another and laughing. They saw all sorts of weird sights, like mushrooms that glowed during the day, mutated bat-like creatures, and was that a gnome chasing that squirrel over there? When Star tugged on Marco’s sleeve to point it out to him, the little fellow had disappeared. Marco shot her a skeptical look and she just shrugged it off. Weird things were always coming and going around them, and Star was a beacon for monsters. There was bound to be something strange in this sleepy little town deep in Oregon.

They’d stopped chasing one another and instead had taken to overturning leaves and digging around between bushes, looking for other strange creatures. Star’s smile never left her face, and Marco and Jackie were messing around in a friendly way, trying to spook one another with all the things they found. Janna’s gasp, sucking the oxygen from the air, made Star stop in her tracks.

She was pointing to the ground, her face a pasty white, her eyes practically bulging from their sockets. The other three of them stopped and looked at each other, not sure what to do. Janna was never scared like this, had never been scared of anything.

“Janna, what’s wrong?” Marco asked, reaching a hand out to touch her shoulder. She let out a screech and slapped his hand away.

“I saw-I saw-I saw-” Her lips worked for a couple minutes, trying to take in a real breath of air. “I saw a hand.”

“A hand?” Star asked.

“It was like a spider but, but it was-it was a HAND!”

“You mean like that story that you made up earlier today to scare us? Are you saying the handwitch is real now?” Marco scoffed. “Janna, you make up the craziest ideas and none of them have ever been true. I’m sure it was just a bug or something that-” Star saw a hand fly out of the underbrush and clamped onto Marco’s upper arm. He stopped cold, slowly turning his head to look at his arm. He opened his mouth and both Marco and Janna screamed at the same time. Star rushed forward to zap the hand, but he was running and flailing his arm around, trying to dislodge the hand.

Jackie ran to Janna who had collapsed and had her knees to her chest, and she was whimpering, “I promise dear witch I didn’t say anything I didn’t know you were real this has never happened before does that mean _I’m_ a witch now?” Jackie tried to comfort her, saying that no, Janna was not a witch because one of her stories happened to actually be real and no, it was unlikely that this would ever happen again.

Star was focused on the iron grip of the hand that was attacking Marco. She was trying to pry it off his arm, but he kept wriggling and running around in a complete panic.

“Marco! I need you to stop moving for just a second!” She said through gritted teeth.

“I caaan’t Star!” He wailed. “This feels so gross!” And he went off on another bout of running in circles. Pressing her lips together, Star tugged on Marco to bring him closer to her so she could examine the hand, except she’d tugged a little too hard and they started to fall.

Star yelped as she lost her footing, sliding across the dry dirt path that was covered in pine needles. Unfortunately they happened to be at the top of a sloping hill, the path on the way down spotted with trees.

Time seemed to slow as Star dug her heels into the ground, but she couldn’t find any purchase.

“We’re slipping!” She yelled, fingers tightening around Marco’s arm. His eyes widened as his gaze clashed with hers, and the clock caught up with them again, and they went tumbling down the hill. Janna and Jackie shouted their names, but Star and Marco became a tangle of arms and legs and bodies hitting the earthen floor.

After an eternity, they rolled to a stop, Marco on his stomach and Star dogpiled on top of him. She spit out some pine needles and plucked a leaf or two from Marco’s hair, but blushed furiously after realizing what she was doing. She quickly scrambled off him, dusting herself off, trying to forget the feel of his body under hers. Marco was a little slower, shaking his head slightly and bending all his limbs to make sure nothing was too badly bruised or broken. He slapped at his arm in the place where the hand was, but it must have let go in the tumble, clearly displeased by the terror of falling.

“Where are we?” He groaned, and Star hefted him up. At the question, she paused to take a look around.

“I’m...not sure. Probably not somewhere near the town or the Mystery Shack.” There was an unnatural hush in this part of the forest, one that made Star’s skin crawl with goosebumps. Leaves seemed to crunch exceptionally loud here, and the buzz of mosquitos and the calling of birds were nonexistent.

Marco stood up slowly, like he was afraid that making too much noise would bring bad luck upon him.

“What is this place?” He asked, and took a step forward, pushing greens out of his path. Star popped up at his side, trying to peer over his shoulder. Marco made a path through the vegetation, allowing Star to follow through without doing too much damage to her dress (her dresses were really important to her).

After wandering for a bit, they finally emerged at a clearing, not unlike the one that Star had run off to earlier in the summer. The grass wasn’t wildly overgrown, there were no rotting tree stumps, there was no field of flowers that were begging to be picked. Off to the side though, was a statue, buried halfway into the ground. Star and Marco crept closer, and Star noticed as soon as they’d entered the clearing that there was an extra chill in the air that hadn’t been there before, and certainly wasn’t normal for the summer.

The statue was in the shape of a triangle, a tall top hat sitting on the top point, an abandoned nest sitting on the rim. Visible through the moss and bird droppings was an eye, so large it spanned from one side of the triangle to the other, a single pupil splitting it down the middle. One arm stuck up out of the side, hand turned to the side as if ready to shake on a deal. They stood there, staring at the statue until Star’s wand began to grow warm in her grip. And she knew it wasn’t just from her body-there was a strange energy here. Enough to make her wand act up and her feet itching to walk away from the strange triangle statue that was half nestled in the ground.

“Marco,” She whispered, tugging on his red hoodie sleeve. “Let’s get out of here. I don’t really feel good.” His eyes widened and he quickly scanned her, looking for a pale face, sweating, or injured limbs, but she wasn’t sick. She continued to pull on his arm until he had no choice but to follow Star out of the clearing.

A wave of summer heat hit them both, the sounds of a forest once again ringing in their ears. Star heaved a breath of the muggy air, breathing for the first time since they’d landed at the bottom of that hill.

“There was something weird about that place Marco,” She said, rolling her wand between her palms. “My wand felt it. It turned hot like it did when we came near Toffee those couple of times, y’know?” He nodded, prompting her to continue, but she had nothing left to say.

“We can’t go back there.” She said. A beat followed. “Do you think Dipper and Mabel know about that statue?” Marco shrugged, hands in his hoodie pocket, and began trudging along a path, trying to get on a road back to the Shack.

“Maybe? I mean, how much exactly do they know about this place? It’s not like they fight monsters daily like we do.” Star frowned, pondering this.

“I think they might have. Remember how ready they were to attack that flower in the Mystery Shack?” Marco nodded, also lost in thought.

“Yeah, maybe you’re right,” he agreed without gumption. He kicked a stone that was lying across his path, but it veered off to the side, lost in the forest. Marco let out a frustrated groan, scuffing the ground with his toe.

“What’s wrong?” Star asked.

“We’re lost in this God-forsaken forest with no way to get home. I hurt and I’m hungry and I want to lay down.” An impish grin spread across Star’s face, and she wrapped an arm around Marco’s shoulders.

“Oh, there’s _definitely_ a way to get home,” She said, and shone her wand to the ground.

Minutes later, Star and Marco were storming through the forest, on the back of an untamed warnicorn.

Star was gonna arrive at the Mystery Shack in style, Marco screaming and clutching her waist, while she was traveling the way she believed a princess always should.

 

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A spray of gravel hit Dipper’s window, jerking him out of his light sleep. He lay still for a moment, straining his ears. The gravel hit the window again, and he glanced over at Mabel. A pillow was wrapped around both sides of her head, and he saw the sheets rise and fall with everything breath she took. When a third handful hit the window, Dipper peeled back his thin blanket, gritting his teeth when his mattress creaked under his shifting weight. He’d finally gotten out and to the window, where a girl was standing in the yard. Dipper caught sight of the blonde hair reflecting the starlight, and he knew at once who it was. Her arms were crossed, her head ducked toward the ground. He quickly and quietly turned the knob and opened the door, skipping all the stairs he knew squeaked the loudest, and slipping out the door of the residential part of the Mystery Shack. He went around the side of the house to wear Pacifica was still standing, arms crossed. He silently cursed himself. It was a little chillier at night than during the day in Gravity Falls, and if he hadn’t been so inexplicably excited to get downstairs, he would’ve thought of bringing his blanket, or at least his vest for her.

She lifted her head, and any giddiness that he had felt before instantly faded away. Her eyes were rimmed red, her cheeks puffy and stained with tears. She was shaking too, but he had nothing to offer her.

“Pacifica! What-what’s wrong?” She sniveled a little, wiping her nose with her hand, something she would have never done pre-Weirdmageddon.

“My parents.” The two words shot through the night like a bullet. Dipper looked into her face and saw her lower lip beginning to tremble, tears building up in the corner of her eyes. On an impulse, Dipper slipped his hand into hers, leading her to the Mystery Shack, where they could talk in relatively normal voices without waking up the whole house.

Dipper seated Pacifica in Wendy’s throne at the register, and tiptoed into the living room where a blanket had been draped over the sofa chair. Stan, thankfully, had gotten his butt into his bed for once, leaving the entire first floor devoid of people. He grabbed the blanket and crept back into the Shack. He awkwardly tried to tuck the it around Pacifica without actually touching her, but it kept sliding off her shoulders. She finally grabbed the corners out of his hands and curled herself into it.

“Thanks Dipper,” she warbled, giving him a small smile, but it disappeared quickly. She didn’t seem to have any energy to be entirely thankful. A furious blush was beginning in Dipper’s neck, and he was glad that it was dark so that she couldn’t see him.

They sat in silence for a while, Pacifica staring at the scratched wood of the checkout counter. There were forgotten souvenirs that had been picked up off the ground, but nobody really knew where they belonged. Inscribed initials: “A+G” inside hearts and other sorts of symbols and words. Dipper didn’t pry; he knew that she would speak when was ready.

“Dad came home today.” She said eventually, it as if that explained everything. Dipper sat, hands in his lap, fingers twisting together. He was nervous. Here was this pretty girl that had shown up at his house that was a “hovel” as she’d described it, and she trusted him enough to explain everything that was going on in her life.

Pacifica took a shaky breath and continued. “Mom had been drinking again. She was still wearing one of her stupid gala dresses, as if we were ever going to return to the life we had. As if we were ever going to have a dumb party with all those rich snobs and people who didn’t care about anything except money and jewelry and-” She stopped herself before she began to yell. Nostrils flaring, she exhaled and began again. “Mom started yelling at me. It happens when she gets drunk like that.” Pacifica said this with as much normality as Mabel telling him that she was going to paint the soles of her feet pink and then walk around on the pavement outside. “She started blaming me for being the reason that we lost the mansion. She kept correcting me on things like my posture, told me to find my earrings and look presentable, and asked when I was going to go on my next mini-golf lesson. I didn’t respond but it’s not like she noticed.” Pacifica’s shoulders began to shake.

“I wanted to take the bottle away but Dipper, oh my God I was so scared of what she’d do if I did. So I let her drink. And then Dad decided to come home today. And that’s when everything blew up.” She clutched the blanket tighter, like it was the pair of arms that had she’d been yearning to be wrapped around her. “He started calling Mom lazy, telling her that she should get her ass up and work like he was. Then she pointed out that he was leaving her alone with...with her ugly bitch of a daughter while he was out doing whatever he wanted.” Her voice cracked and she shoved her fists into her eyes. Dipper scootched his chair closer to her for comfort. Her voice was barely above a whisper when she continued.

“Dad then said that at least he was trying to make the best of life and that it was Mom’s fault for ending up in a stinking hole of a house with no money for even a single butler or servant. Then…” She paused for a moment. “Then Mom threw the wine glass at Dad. It was still full, and he was wearing the only suit he had left.” Dipper’s heart sank as Pacifica burst into a torrent of quiet sobbing. He awkwardly reached a hand out and rested it on her shoulder.

“I had to get out then. I didn’t wait to see what happened next. I ran out the back door, not caring that I didn't lock it, and then I hid in the forest for most of the day.” She lifted her head, locking her icy blue gaze with Dipper’s golden brown one. “I didn’t-I couldn’t go home.” She shut her eyes and sighed, “I’m sorry.” Dipper’s anger flared then, anger at Pacifica’s parents for neglecting her like, this, for putting all this blame on her when she had done absolutely nothing wrong. In fact, Gravity Falls needed her to be able to complete the zodiac and defeat Bill in the first place. He was angry that Pacifica was being reduced to this crying mess in his house in the dead of night, when she should be standing tall, shoulder back, hair swaying in the wind.

Without really thinking about it, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Immediately, she did the same, burying her face in his shoulder.

“Pacifica,” he whispered, and she hiccupped once. “You should not be sorry at all. Don’t ever apologize-you’ve done absolutely nothing wrong.”

“But, but my parents-”

“Are literally the blindest and stupidest people on the planet. You are not an ugly bitch of a daughter, and you look perfect all the time. Even now.” She smiled and snuggled a little closer to him. By now he realized what he’d done and said and his heart started to pound. “You’re parents can’t see a real diamond when it’s sitting right in front of them.”

They sat there awhile, bathing in the moonlight that was pouring through the windows of the Shack. Eventually Pacifica yawned and Dipper glanced down at her.

“Do you want to stay here for tonight?” He realized how that sounded and quickly added, “I mean, until your parents calm down and stuff. You could sleep in the living room. We don’t have anymore beds left since Star and Marco are downstairs but if you want I mean-” A hand over his silenced his rambling and Pacifica looked at him.

“It’ll be okay. Mom and Dad have probably passed out by now, so I can sneak in without getting too much damage.” She slid the blanket off and left it on the chair, and Dipper stood to walk her out.

The door swept open with a loud creak that the two of them cringed at. Before she stepped out she turned to him.

“Thanks Dipper.”

“Of course.”

“You know this means I’m not a charity case. I don’t want your pity.”

Dipper grinned a little, glad to know that if she was snippy, she was definitely feeling a lot better.

“I wasn’t going to offer you any.” He responded, and she turned to leave. She was a few yards away from the entrance when the word, “Wait!” escaped from his mouth. She paused.

“If um...If you’re not doing anything tomorrow, do you want to maybe hang out with the four of us? We’re not really doing anything special just, if you wanted to.” Pacifica turned her head slightly, half her face lit by the moonlight.

“Sure. That would be cool.”

Translation: Sure. That would be cool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enter more Pacifica and some other Starco stuff. I spent literally all of last night writing this, so if you guys have any like, critique stuff that'd be great. I am once again sorta empty of ideas, and I'm sneaking in computer time so yeah, the next chapter will be up whenever, but I hoped you liked this one!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright yes this is chapter 7 i had the worst writer's block and i really tried to push through it. This is sort of a filler chapter, I'm sorry if you wanted more plot but it'll have to wait and I've really been focusing on a slow dipcifica. And i realized that there won't be as much starco as i wanted there to be, i just have so many great ideas for dipcifica i just let starco go *sad* but don't worry ill put as much little fluffles as i can for starco in later chapters

Star’s wand sensed what was coming long before anybody else did. It was at least a few weeks after they visited Lake Gravity Falls. The five of them; Star, Marco, Dipper, Mabel, and now Pacifica, were playing volleyball, boys against girls. The girls definitely had the advantage, with Star’s magic, Mabel’s excitement and Pacifica’s skill, but the boys had Dipper’s brains and Marco’s agility. At some point Wendy had come out to join the guys but Stan had stuck his head out of his window saying that he was going to cut her pay if she didn’t get back to work. She’d given Dipper a fistbump and he had a sloppy grin on his face as she ducked under the doorway back into the Mystery Shack.

Mabel sent the ball flying right into his face.

“Hah, that’s what you _get_ you crazy love bird!” She shrieked, and gave Star a high five. Dipper served the ball hard over the net and it whistled past Pacifica’s ear.

“I’m not in love with her,” he responded rubbing his nose which was now starting to turn red. He turned to Marco, tilting his head back a little.

“Is my nose bleeding?” Marco peered into his face and shook his head.

“You might’ve just bruised it. I think you’ll be fine.” Dipper breathed a sigh of relief and turned to his sister.

“I’m done with volleyball for the day. What do you guys wanna do?” Pacifica had replied but Star wasn’t listening. Her wand was starting to grow warm in her back pocket and she pulled it out. It was glowing and pulsing with faint energy, and that was the only warning she had when suddenly Mabel fell flat on her face. She tried to get up but a monster was holding her fast into the ground.

“Hey!” Dipper shouted, ducking under the volleyball net and sent a flying punch at the monster. He knelt down helping Mabel to her feet. She gasped for air, spitting dirt and grass out of her mouth, and brushing her sweater off.

“Thanks,” she said breathlessly, and the five of them turned to face Ludo’s army.

“Star Butterfly, you’ve been avoiding me for far too long. Now surrender your wand and then we can all have a happily ever after.” Ludo was grinning menacingly down at the group of friends from his perch on top of one of his monsters, clutching his own wand in his fists. Star shifted her weight onto one foot, hip jutting out and she observed the monsters.

“Oh...you mean this wand?” She asked, feigning confusion as she raised it to the light of the sun.

“Yes, yes, that wand!” Ludo said exasperatedly. “Now just...hand it over...nice and slowly…” Star took one hesitant step forward, reaching her hand out.

“Star! What are you doing?” Marco whispered, not taking his eyes off of Ludo. Mabel, Dipper and Pacifica were still in a defensive stance, waiting to fight. Star stretched her arm out to reach Ludo’s open hand. His eyes burned with greed and victory, his beak twisted in an evil grin. Just before Star laid her wand in his hand, she jumped in the air, shouting, “DAGGER CRYSTAL HEART ATTACK,” sending a vortex of sharp hearts toward the army. Most of them had the mind to move, but some of the unlucky ones were struck in the face and eyes. They landed on their backs, groaning in pain as the world dissolved into a swarming, screaming, sweaty mess.

Half of the crowd went for Star and Marco’s newer accomplices, while the other half dove for Star’s wand.

“Take out the boy!” Ludo was shrieking. Marco was a flurry of kicking legs and punching arms; a shield around Star who was zapping monsters that were coming close to them.

Meanwhile on the other side of the yard, Dipper, Mabel and Pacifica were being circled from the air by a grotesque being with wings. Mabel picked up a rock and threw it at the bird.

“Come and get us you colossal feathered idiot!” She shrieked, and Dipper glanced at her.

“Wow Mabel, ‘colossal’ is a big word.”

“Not as big as your brain.” She responded, hands on her hips. The shape in the sky swooped down like lightening, and Dipper had only just opened his mouth to warn her when his sister was grabbed by the scruff of her sweater and lifted into the air. He winced as he saw her face full of terror, and reached out to her, but it was too late.

“Dipper! Dipper help!” She was waving her arms frantically, trying to reach her brother who was still on the ground. Pacifica cried out and clutched his arm tightly.

“Oh my gosh what are we gonna do??” She breathed, and he peered up at the monster who was circling around them, one eye glaring down at them, searching for another target. Dipper brought her close and looked her in the eye.

“Pacifica…” Suddenly he was lost, and time didn’t exist. There were glaciers and skies and oceans and waves upon waves of blueberries and sapphires. Her eyes were framed with hundreds of perfect little lashes, and teeny little freckles that he’d never noticed before decorated her delicate nose and cheeks. Her golden hair fluttered lightly around her shoulders, dazzling him.

“I…”

The screech of the monster pulled him out of his daze, and he took a deep breath.

“Please don’t hate me,” he whispered, and he shoved her into the open meadow. She shrieked, first with surprise, then with anger.

“Dipper what the-” The monster swooped down to grasp Pacifica’s shirt, but before it could fly off again, Dipper sprinted with all he had and propelled himself onto the bird’s back. The monster took off, sending the world below him into a spiral of green. He squeezed his eyes against the onslaught of dizziness, understanding for once how Mabel must feel, and kicked the sides of the monster. It turned its head, gave a loud caw, and began violently bucking to get him off. Mabel and Pacifica screamed, and Dipper gritted his teeth against the noise. He kicked the monster again, smacking it on its head.

“Hey!” He yelled, and it turned one eye at him. “You’re gonna take me and my friends down to the ground, and we’re gonna land unhurt!” The eye scanned him for a second before continuing to buck. They flew past Star and Marco who were fighting a winning battle on the ground, and Mabel screamed her name. She looked up with a smile and waved, zapping a monster coming in on her left.

“Star! I could use a l-little help here!” Dipper screeched as the bird swung wildly to the side. The bottom half of his body slid off, his legs dangling in the air.

“Dipper don’t kick me!” Mabel cried out, her voice tinted with tears. He looked down. Upon seeing Mabel’s bright pink sweater, he stilled his legs. Somewhere in the noise of his mind he heard the shout of “Bunny Rabbit Blast!” followed by a small explosion and the immediate groaning of fallen Ludo soldiers. Dipper was lifted gently back onto the back of the bird monster, and Star hovered in the air for a second, her wand spurting magic.

“Don’t worry girls and guy. I got this.” With excitement flooding her veins, Star flew up and landed in front of Dipper, and the monster started to veer off its course by attempting to twist its neck to look at what had landed on it. It let out a squaw, and started to shake, trying to get her off. Star heard Mabel’s terrified screaming, but she only whooped, grabbing a fistful of feathers to stabilize the monster’s flying. A couple kicks to the side and a painful twist of one of its wings forced the monster into submission, and it glided carefully down to the ground where Marco was holding Ludo into the ground with his foot.

Star helped Dipper dismount the monster, and he immediately ran under its belly to help the girls unlatch their grip from its claws. Mabel was deathly pale and refused to let go of her brother. She was shaking hard and sobbing into his shoulder. Pacifica had her arms wrapped around him on the other side, trying to take stabilized breaths to calm herself. Dipper awkwardly tried to hug and comfort both of them at the same time, but he himself was still rather dizzy from the fight, and it was hard to think straight when a sister was sobbing in one ear and a girl who he may or may not have a crush on had a body pressed up against his.

Ludo crawled out from under Marco’s foot and stumbled to create a portal.

“You’re all pathetic! What would your mothers say about your performance?” He was met with the sad lowing from the group as they clutched various limbs and fell through the portal. Before Ludo slipped in he squinted at Star.

“You win for now, Star Butterfly. But I’m not the only evil thing around these parts!” With a huff he disappeared and the rip in space closed.

“Star that was amazing!” Marco exclaimed, running over to give her a heartfelt hug, pressing his face into the top of her head. She returned it with a smile.

“Thanks Marco! But Dipper basically had the whole thing under control. I just jumped in at the end for the fun of it.”

The screen door to the back of the Mystery Shack slammed shut.

“Hey dudes, Stan wants-woah what happened out here?” Soos said, taking in the sight of the backyard. Grass was torn up and some of the pine trees were bent in half or lost most of their needles. Mabel and Pacifica had calmed enough to peel themselves off of Dipper, but they still looked pretty traumatized.

“It’s all taken care of Soos!” Star said proudly and she ran over to give him a high five.

“Sweet dawg! Anyways, Stan wants Mabel to clean up Waddles's mess. He says he did his business in the living room.”

“Again?” Mabel asked, rushing to the door. “But he’s been trained! This doesn’t make any sense.”

“Maybe he’s getting sick?” Marco asked as the whole group entered the air conditioned building with a sigh. “Sometimes the puppies do that when they don’t feel good.” Star, Marco and Mabel went to the living room, all the while talking about animals and treatments. Pacifica tugged on Dipper’s arm, fingers wrapped around his wrist.

His skin burned where she touched him.

“Tonight,” she whispered, her lips brushing his ear (accidentally?? On purpose?), and then she was gone. With the imprint of her hand on his arm and the feel of her hair brushing his cheek, Dipper turned to join his friends in the living room.

 

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Pacifica pushed tree branches out of her way as she walked briskly to the Mystery Shack. She glanced back every couple of seconds for fear of a follower, but nothing but the scratching of crickets, the buzz of mosquitos and the hooting of an occasional owl greeted her. When she tried to slip away a few minutes earlier, her father stopped her with a heavy hand on her shoulder.

“Where are you going?” He asked, the scent of cigarettes on his breath. She jerked out of his grip and adjusted her jacket.

“Out. Why does it matter to you?” Her tone was the snotty, stuck up one she’d grown out of, the tone she reserved for times like this. With her nose in the air and a flick of her hair, she swept out the back door and into the night. She thought back to earlier that day, when Dipper had grabbed her and held her close, so close she thought he was going to kiss her. Her heart had pounded, blood rushing in her ears, and the battle around them didn’t even exist. When he breathed her name, her gaze had flickered down to his lips, plump and pretty. His caramel eyes widened as he looked into hers, and then next she knew, she was shoved backward, caught by the monster, stomach swooping as they soared to the sky.

 _So stupid,_ she thought. _Of course he doesn’t like me._ Her blood boiled as she thought of that moment, falling backward, claws clutching her shirt. She was lucky that holes hadn’t been poked into it or she’d never hear the end of it.

Before she knew it, Pacifica found herself in the backyard of the Mystery Shack, Dipper sitting on a tree stump, looking up at the moon. She stopped, choking.

He was _beautiful_. He’d grown some since they first met, and he was leaning back on his hands, feet swinging against the stump. He seemed so vulnerable and more boyish without his vest and hat, which he wore everywhere like an armor. She wanted those arms to wrap her up and she wanted to her his heartbeat through his chest...

Pacifica’s fingers curled into her palms, crescent moons digging into her skin. She kicked a rock, sending it flying across the gravel. The noise caught Dipper’s attention, and he turned to look at her.

Heart pounding, she put on a face of indifference and walked up to him with purpose. Pressing an unmanicured nail into his chest, she said in a low voice, “Dipper Pines, if I didn’t like you so much I’d be slapping you for that stunt you pulled earlier today.” She’d chosen her words carefully, waiting to see for a reaction, and he did not disappoint. The beginnings of a blush were creeping out from under his t-shirt and she smiled in the moonlight.

“What are you talking about?” He asked, sliding over so she had room on the stump with him.

“You know. When you used me as a distraction and scared me to death for no reason?” Realization flickered across his face.

“Oh yes, when you helped me save my sister’s life. Thanks for that by the way,” he said, smiling at her. She gave him a playful swat across his knees anyways.

“You could’ve just asked for my help, you didn’t need to use me,” she mumbled.

“As a distraction?” She nodded and bit her lip. He chuckled softly and whispered, “Well you’re definitely _my_ distraction.” It was so quiet she was hardly sure she’d heard right, but he didn’t elaborate and she didn’t press him.

They didn’t feel like talking much tonight, which was fine with Pacifica. She just liked sitting outside, stargazing with Dipper. As she tilted her head back, she quickly scanned the sky for the North Star, and then a certain constellation.

Giggling a little, she pointed and said, “Found you.” He nudged her arm and laughed a little too.

“Good one,” he said sarcastically, and they fell silent once more.

Time passed too quickly, and Pacifica found herself dozing lightly, head rolling on Dipper’s shoulder.

“Hey Paz, don’t you think you should be getting home?” He whispered. She wrinkled her nose.

“First, don’t call me that. Second...I don’t wanna go home.” She shuddered, and Dipper wrapped an arm around her.

“It’ll be okay Pacifica. I’ll be here tomorrow night, and you can hang out with us again.”

She refused to move for about a minute or so, and suddenly, like her limbs were being controlled by someone else, she buried her face in Dipper’s shoulder, wrapping her arms tight around him. Her heartbeat skyrocketed as his slid around her, and he rested his face in her hair. He breathed her name and she shuddered again. Pulling back slightly, she refused to make eye contact and said, “I should go.”

He nodded slightly, a little shook himself, and she hustled off into the dark forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys see any weird sentence structure or anything feel free to correct me on stuff. Next chapter: mabel being mabel, more weird grunkle stan (whats up with him??? hm idk?) and i promise it's the start of the kissing that i promised you guys.  
> Also, a warning: I start school soon and my schedule gets really really packed. I really hope that i'll find time to write but I don't want to be one of those writers that completely neglects their work bc I know how that feels.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I did say Mabel for the next chapter but I decided to hold off on that but THATS OKAY BC I FEEL LIKE YOU GUYS ARE REALLY GONNA LIKE THIS ONE and if the last chapter wasn't sweet enough then this one definitely topped it like wow I was really on a cuteness writing roll. Anyways I felt like I'd neglected Starco enough, I had my friend who doesn't watch svtfoe proofread my fanfic and she said she liked it so I hope you guys do too!!!! Please comment and kudos and all that good stuff and check out all my other good stuff k ill stop talking now sorry.

Star could not sleep. Marco knew this because he constantly heard her kicking the blanket off, or mumbling in her sleep, or flipping the pillow over to the colder side. She was keeping him awake, but it’s not like he was ready to fall asleep anytime soon. After a bit more rustling she was silent. It didn’t last long.

“Marco?” His name whispered through the dark room. He sighed.

“Yeah Star?”

“Can’t sleep.

“I can tell.”

“Wanna explore the Shack?”

“At night?”

“Yeah.”

“But why?”

“I found something cool that I wanted to show you.” With a grunt, he sat up.

“Lead the way, princess.” With a giggle, Star hopped out of bed, using her wand as a flashlight. They tread softly across the creaky wooden boards, knowing by now which stairs were louder than other, and Star led him to the store part of the Mystery Shack.

“Star,” he whispered. “We’ve been here like, a thousand times. There’s nothing interesting.” By the light of the moon, an impish grin spread across her face. In that moment, he knew she could pry open a piece of the floor and say they were going to hell and he’d follow her without a second thought. She started walking around and he crept along, afraid to make too much noise.

“Oh you’re right.” She said. “Weird exhibits, bobble-heads, bobble-heads, more bobble-heads, secret ladder hidden behind this curtain that leads to the roof, t-shirts, postcards-”

“Wait, what?”

“Ah, I thought there was nothing interesting down in the Mystery Shack, Marco!” He waved her words away with his hand.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Anyways, what was that about the ladder?” 

Spinning on her toes, Star pirouetted to a purple curtain, and with a flourishing gesture, carefully pulled it back to indeed reveal a (very poorly) hidden ladder. Tugging on his sleeve, she pulled him forward.

“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!” She whispered excitedly, and he had no choice but to follow her up. 

The view was breathtaking. There was nothing but dark pine forest and shining stars and black night sky as far as he could see. There was a small cooler along with two reclining patio chairs and an umbrella. It was clear that someone was coming up here often. Marco sat down next to Star and dangled his legs over the side of the roof. There was a moment of silence before she gave him a sideways glance and giggled a little to herself.

“What?” She shook her head slightly and leaned back on her hands. “What, Star?” She giggled again when he nudged her, and she scooted a little closer to him, so everything, from their shoulders to their knees were touching. One pearl white hand was placed strategically on top of his tan brown one.

“I just remember that the last time we were on a roof together, you were trying to keep track of the number of times I saved you.” 

Marco laughed.

“I guess today would be what, like, save number three thousand forty seven?” 

“Oh, c’mon Marco, Dipper really was the one who saved us. He just...looked like he needed a little help, that’s all.” Her last sentence seemed uncertain, and Marco’s nose hovered just above her ear, and his breath rustled her hair. She turned her head slightly, and realizing that he was extraordinarily close, pulled away a little. A flush warmed his cheeks and he looked up at the sky. Millions upon millions of bright white dots glinted in the sky. There were so many that they seemed to be moving, spiraling around and around. 

“Wow,” Star said breathlessly. “The stars really are beautiful in Gravity Falls.” Marco bit his lip, trying to keep something cheesy from pouring out of his mouth.  _ The brightest star is sitting right next to me. The prettiest star that I know is a for real princess.  _ She was definitely playing with him, and every passing second he spent looking at her in the dark, surrounded by trees, the stars shining down on them, made his heart vibrate in ways that he hadn’t felt since Jackie had asked him to the school dance back in eighth grade.

Fine. He’d play along.

“I don’t think they’re pretty.” Star turned to him, wide-eyed with shock, their faces inches apart.

“What? But-but they’re...we  _ never _ see stars like this in Echo Creek!” He bunched his lips up to the side as he struggled to maintain eye contact, and not let his gaze wander.

“I dunno, I mean, I do know that there’s one star out there that shines all the rest of ‘em.”

Star’s cheeks flushed as she caught onto his meaning. His fingers curled around the hand that was on top of his, tugging her closer, closer to him. The hearts on her cheeks were violently pink, and they hovered in that moment for an eternity.

“W-which star is that?” She asked, gaze flickering to his lips. 

“The one I’m about to kiss,” he replied, and he closed the gap between them. 

Star gasped slightly, a rush of air coming between them before she leaned in again. Her lips were soft and ready, and he cupped one side of her face, deepening the kiss. Her fingers gripped the collar of his pajama shirt and she whimpered. His head was spinning, he felt like he was flying, and he wondered why, why,  _ why  _ had he waited so incredibly long to have this feeling. With Jackie, he always felt like he was overstepping some boundary, or that she was letting him kiss her because she knew how much he liked her. With Star, it was different. He didn’t know how or why, but it felt perfect.

Star pulled away, grinning.

“Wow Marco Diaz. You really  _ are _ smoother than you let on.” They laughed together, and wrapped their arms around each other, sharing a simple hug. Star’s head was resting on her shoulder when something caught her eye. A flash of blonde hair was running silently across the backyard. 

“Marco, look!” She whispered and pointed, just as Pacifica scurried into the forest. She leaned forward a bit, and caught sight of a torn Dipper, who was staring into the trees, like he wished she would run back out again. He scratched his head and struggled to turn around, as if going inside would ruin whatever spell he was under.

“Uh ohhh, looks like Dipper’s in a situation,” Marco observed, and Star grinned.

“Poor Mabel though,” she said. “There are like, no boys around here.”

“I’m sure she’s happy the way she is.” And it was true. Always smiling, always positive, Mabel was happy just being who she was, not being chained to anybody, remaining fiercely loyal to the people she loved.

“Hey if Dipper’s going inside we should probably head in too,” Marco said, punctuating his suggestion with a yawn, and Star rolled her eyes.

“Yes Mom _. _ ” 

“Did you even have a bedtime on Mewni?” 

“Uh,  _ yeah. _ Just because I’m a princess doesn’t mean I’m not a normal person.”

They were skipping the stairs again, and carefully pulling open the door to their room.

“Star, you are anything but a normal person.” She jumped onto her bed and bounced on her knees a couple times, leaning forward meaningfully. Marco chuckled a little, and kissed her softly, once, twice, three times. He pulled away, a little breathless, and Star giggled.

“Wow if you couldn’t sleep before how are you going to get to sleep now?” Her smile widened and she shrugged. 

“I’ll do whatever you do since  _ you _ couldn’t sleep either.”

“Well…” Marco pretended to ponder as he climbed into his bed. “I’m gonna put my head on my pillow.” Star mirrored the act, a silly smile on her face. “I’ll bring my blanket up like this…” He covered himself, bringing the blanket up to his chin. “Then I turn around and close my eyes and fall asleep,” he said quickly, and he heard her laugh.

“Good night, Marco.”

“Good night, Star.”

 

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He was in the middle of nowhere, the wind whistling in his ears. A feeling of dread had settled in the pit of his stomach, but he wasn’t sure why. The ground was dry and hard, and riddled with cracks. A figure loomed in the distance, an exact replica of himself.

Stan approached the figure, and Ford turned to face him.

“Well Stanley, you saved the day.” His brother sounded upset, jealous even. “You were the one to get all the glory, even though you were the one who almost made us die in the middle of battle.” Stan’s anger flared.

“Hey, if you weren’t the one to be all stuck-up ‘hey I got a full ride to the college of my dreams,’ I wouldn’t’ve had to do anything.” The fight immediately drained from him. He didn’t like fighting with his brother. Ford’s image flickered for a fraction of a second, and Stan thought he saw that hated demonic triangle. He took a step back as it happened again.

“Woah, Ford...what-what’s happening.”

“I’ll be back,” Bill said, in Ford’s body. “And this time, no slip-ups.” 

“What are you talking about?” Stan asked, hands curling into fists. “We deleted you. I killed you.  _ I _ did it.” Ford rolled his eyes, his image flickering yet again. This time, Bill was able to be in his form for a few seconds before becoming Stan’s twin again.

“Goddam-why can’t-” Ford pressed his palms together and exhaled, shooting Stan a steely look. “Be ready. ‘Cuz you’re family’s gonna be toast real soon!” Stan took a step forward.

“Hey! What’d I say about messing with my family?” He took a swing at the image of his brother, but his knuckles collided with nothing but air.

“I’m getting stronger Stan.” Bill spoke behind him, and he spun around. “Every day, your mind gets weaker, and my body gets stronger.” Bill snapped, causing Ford’s eyes to go red.

“I’ll see ya soon. Now you should probably go crying to your brother about your dream. I’ll be here. Waiting.”

Stan woke up in a cold sweat, and he looked around his room. His blankets were tangled around his legs and his pillow hung halfway off his bed. He sat up with a grunt and peeled off the sheets. A slit of moonlight crept across his nightstand, illuminating the framed picture of Mabel and Dipper. He picked it up, his brow furrowing. How did this make any sense? He erased part of his freaking mind to get rid of him, and now he was coming back? Was it truly just a dream? Or was it real? He needed answers. 

When he reached the bottom of the staircase behind the vending machine, a puff of smoke billowed up to greet him, and he coughed violently.

“Ford, what the hell?” Stan waved away the air and crept furthur into the bunker. “Just because you built the place doesn’t mean I’m letting you trash it.” Ford emerged from the smoke, a fair amount of his clothing burning in places. He swatted at himself and removed his science glasses.

“My apologies, Stanley. I must not have had the parameters set up properly...and perhaps if I exchange the fuel source to be more natural such as sunlight...hmm…” He picked up a wrench and immediately turned to a clunky-looking machine while Stan stood idly to the side.

“Ford I gotta question.”

“What is it?”  
“D’you really think we knocked out that Cipher guy a couple years ago?” Ford put down the wrench and stood.

“Well of course we did. We deleted him from your mind. You saved the day, Stanley.” Ford said this with a smile and placed a hand on his shoulder, but when he reached out, Stan flinched slightly. His brother didn’t catch it.  _ Well Stanley, you saved the day. _ He pulled back like he’d been burned a second time, and Ford let his arm drop.

“Y-yeah thanks Ford. But I just...I dunno I got this funny feeling. I just had a dream.” This caught his brother’s attention. 

“A dream? What happened in the dream?” Stan hesitated for a moment, trying to decide what to tell him.

“Oh you know, stuff that had happened before. Triangles everywhere, lotsa fire, the kids were in danger, that sorta thing.” The lie rolled out of him like honey, the way they always did. Ford turned slightly back to his machine, as if he wanted to continue to work on it instead of talk to his brother.

“I do believe you could be experiencing some form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Do let me know if anything in your dreams changes or if your body has suddenly been taken control of.” And with that he really did turn, and Stan was dismissed. He thumped back up the creaky stairs and through the window of the door to the Mystery Shack, he caught sight of a shock of blonde hair and another tall and lanky figure. Dipper. Pacifica ran back into the forest and Dipper awkwardly shuffled his feet. Stan shook his head and continued on.  _ Kids. _

He climbed into his still warm bed and stared at the ceiling. Bill’s words rang through his mind.  _ Be ready. ‘Cuz you’re family’s gonna be toast real soon! _ He shut his eyes and emptied his mind, and willed for sleep to descend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooooooooo how'd it goooooooooooooooooo?? hehehe. I do have a plot now but rats, literally no time to write. Like, actually zero time I really really do apologize. And because I had almost no time and I didn't realize how short Stan's dream was gonna be I did cut this chapter a little short so I'm sorry for that too. I also just don't know how to Ford. Like, someone explain to me what Ford-speak is. I feel like I got it but I didn't nail it so I'm sorry but just yeah girl's day out in the next chapter!! DIPCIFICA DIPCIFICA DIPCIFICAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAH OKAY HI EVERYONE I'm sorry I did tell you school started and....yeah I've had ZERO time to write, so I apologize if all my work from here on out is patchy/not correct/messy/superficial. I really try to make it quality but my FANTASTIC SQUAD (shoutout to them) has no time to correct/proofread my stuff either which is totally 100% okay. One of my besties in college (good luck gurl ily) my other is trying out a new school (I believe in you friend) while it's just me and one more. I love all three of them equally and they made last year amazing T_T I dedicate this story to you guys okay I'll shut up again and let yall read.

“Girl’s day out! Girl’s day out!” Star joined the chant as Wendy swerved out of the parking lot to the Mystery Shack. The red-head teen was allowed to take the day off since service was slow, and Marco and Dipper volunteered to fill her spot.

“Where to?” Wendy asked, and Mabel clapped her hands excitedly.

“Ooh, ooh! How about Greasy’s Diner?” She asked, and Wendy was the only one who responded. “Yeah? Yeah?”

Star shrugged. “I don’t know I’ve never been to Greasy’s Diner, but I’ll try it.”

Pacifica looked out the window and Mabel twisted all the way around from her spot in the front seat to face her.

“Aw, c’mon Pacifica, you know Greasy’s is good.” Pacifica curled her lip and glanced at her nails. Realizing what she was doing, she fisted her hands and shoved them in her lap.

“I just...Bad memories.”

Star related just a tad with Pacifica’s life. Her parents loved her of course, but kicking her out of Mewni and sending her to Earth didn’t seem exactly caring. Not that she was regretting a single _second_ of hanging out with Marco, but sometimes she missed running the halls of her castle, bouncing on her own bed in her room in the palace that looked down on all three levels of her beautiful kingdom. The kingdom she was destined to rule one day. Wendy’s screeching pulled her out of her thoughts.

“Mabel! You know how much I hate this stupid song!” She was swatting at Mabel’s hand, trying to switch the channel. “It’s not even music!” Mabel gasped, in pain.

“Of course it’s music!” She twisted around again. “Girls, isn’t this like, the greatest song ever?” Star strained to listen to the lyrics, but nothing in her brain registered over the constant computer generated clicking and the wheels of the car constantly bumping over rocks in the road.

“Sorry Mabel, can’t say it is,” Star said, and Pacifica nodded in agreement. “But I think you’ll like this song!” Star whipped out the phone Marco had given her and clicked a button.

_Space unicorn, soaring through the stars…_

Star almost fell into Pacifica (there were no seatbelts, it _was_ Stan’s car after all) as Wendy pulled into the parking lot of Greasy’s Diner. She immediately killed the ignition which turned the radio off, and quickly got out of the car. Star was still jamming and singing along when she knocked on the window.

“Hey bud, I’m gonna lock you in there if you don’t get out and turn off that stupid song.” Wendy’s face and voice were serious but her eyes were smiling. Star hopped out and the door was shut behind her.

Greasy’s Diner was shaped like a fallen log, and was nestled in a nook of the forest, trees surrounding three sides of it. Smoke leaked out a vent in the top, the red paint chipping in some places. A beaten path led from the parking lot to the steps of the diner, the stone steps cracking just a bit.

Mabel bounced over to a booth by the window, and Wendy told the waitress that water was fine for all of them. The two brilliants blondes sat side by side while a brunette and a redhead sat across from them.

Star caught Mabel grinning widely at Pacifica, but she was busy looking out the window, chin in her hand. When Star leaned over just a tiny bit, she could see Pacifica was staring at the car Wendy had driven them all in.

“Wow, look at all these options!” Mabel exclaimed, a little over the top. But when was she not over the top? “Hey, Wendy.”

“Yeah?”

“Whaddaya think _Dipper_ would get?” They exchanged sly side glances and Wendy studied her menu.

“Hmm...you know, I think you know Dipper more than I do. What do _you_ think he would get?” Pacifica’s now narrowed blue eyes flitted back and forth between the two of them, trying to figure out what language they were speaking.

“I think he’d get a Super Yummy Crummy Burger.”

“Oooh that’s a good option,” Wendy said, bobbing her head for emphasis.

“Uh-huh…” Pacifica mumbled, turning her gaze again to the car. Suddenly, the sound of shouts and cheers filled the diner. The four girls turned and found some tourist trying out the Manliness Tester. He was actually quite large, with bulging muscles and a curly beard that spurted from his chin like tuft. His face was red with exertion and he was trying to get farther than “Barely Passable,” but he let out a breath and the lightbulbs traveled back down to “Wimp.” The diner groaned collectively and turned back to their food while the tourist’s wife had to restrain him from kicking the machine. It was so dented and scarred from people’s frustration that one more kick probably would have done absolutely nothing to harm it.

“Oh hey! Dipper tried that once!” Mabel said, giggling. “He almost got it all the way up to ‘Man’ but he let go. I think we still have that card the machine gave him. It had a-” Wendy elbowed Mabel.

“Ow!”

“That’s not helping Mabel!” Wendy tried to whisper to her, and Mabel’s hands flew up to her mouth.

“Oh right! Sorry!” Pacifica put down her menu with a glare.

“What’s with you guys? Why do you keep trying to bring up Dipper?” Her face was stone solid, and Star was impressed at her ability to keep her cool. If someone were to ask her about Marco, she’d probably be a blushing and stuttering mess by now. She smiled at the thought of the kisses they’d shared on the rooftop and almost missed the next part of the conversation.

“Nothing! What are you talking about? I mean...well…” Mabel looked hopelessly up at Wendy who gave Pacifica what almost seemed like a maternal smile.

“You’ve totally got it bad for Dipper, dude.” Pacifica frowned.

“I do not!”

“Do too!”

“Mabel!” Pacifica complained, a hint of a blush cascading her cheeks now that somebody had called her out on it.

“She does, she does Wendy!!!” Mabel squealed and clapped her hands, and even Star couldn’t help but grin.

“Tell us about him Pacifica!” Star said, putting a cheek in a hand and propped herself on the sticky wooden table. Pacifica scoffed and glanced down at her nails.

“You guys already know about him. What’s the point of me telling you about him?” She again clenched her fingers into fists and shoved them into her lap. Her blush hadn’t gone away and she refused to make eye contact with anybody at the table. She didn’t open her mouth again until Lazy Susan came by to take their orders. After she left, Pacifica dared to look up, to three pairs of eyes staring at her, waiting for her to spill. She sighed and spared another glance out the window, this time noticing the dark clouds looming in the distance.

“We talk sometimes.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” A silence.

“About what?”

“I dunno. Life I guess.”

“Wait what do you mean you guys talk? When do you even find time? Is this alone?” Wendy fired off a bunch of questions and Mabel laughed.

“Are you kidding? It’s like, every night. She throws rocks at my window.”

“You aren’t supposed to hear! Dipper says you never move when he gets out of bed.”

“Well _duh._ I have to pretend I don’t know what’s going on which has been _killing me_ for these past few weeks. So when are you gonna confess your love to him?” She asked and Pacifica actually flinched a little.

“Uh, never? I dunno Mabel, this is all going kind of fast for me...” She thought back in her mind and she realized that it wasn’t fast at all. In fact, it was almost as if somebody had been planning this. For two years, Mabel and Dipper Pines had visited Gravity Falls during the summers. Each year he’d grown a little taller, a little leaner, a little smarter. It just didn’t catch up with her until this summer, and she didn’t understand what all these feelings and thoughts meant. Why was it Dipper’s face that she wished she saw in the woods when she wandered around alone? Why was it Dipper’s arms she craved being wrapped comfortingly around her, instead of the arms of a strong parent? Did that make her selfish? Why could she never believe that things could be fixed in her home, but when she was at the Mystery Shack, all her problems seemed to go away, and she became a real and worthy person?

Pacifica shook her head to clear her thoughts and turned to a waitress who was now delivering her Diner’s Special Coffee Pancakes. The sight in front of her turned her stomach sour, as she was reminded of all the endless nights she spent trying to shovel down the awful food after getting kicked out of her mansion. She took her fork and picked at the first brown pancake that was spitting steam into her already hot face.

“Wow guys, it’s actually getting pretty dark,” Star noted, and they all looked out the window.

“You’re right,” Wendy agreed. “We should probably head back to the Shack before the car gets totally soaked out there. Mabel quickly fetched several boxes to put their barely touched food in and Wendy put the pedal to the medal trying to beat the storm home.

 

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Mabel kicked the car door shut with her foot and shouted, “We’re back!” Dipper and Marco came through the screen door, each holding a can of Pitt Cola. Marco immediately joining Star’s side while Dipper tried to peek into Mabel’s bag.

“Quit it, Dipper! None of this is for you!”

“What? Why? Couldn’t you get me my burger at least?” Mabel shot Pacifica a knowing grin and yanked the bag out of Dipper’s grip.

“Okay, seriously Dipper. Didn’t Grunkle Stan give you guys lunch?” Marco laughed.

“No. That’s why we need to rob you.” He tried stealing Star’s bag but she smacked his knuckles with her wand.

“Children, children,” Wendy said, waving her arms. “If you boys really want something you can have my food. I’ll just make a sandwich or something.” She set the bag on a nearby tree stump and began to head toward the door, but Grunkle Stan seemed to suddenly materialize in the doorway.

“Wendy get in here. Where’ve you been?” She stopped and glanced at her friends.

“Uh...you said I could take the day off ‘cuz it was slow today.”

“I did? Uh, well yeah I guess I did.” Stan’s gaze roamed and rested on Pacifica. His eyes flickered from her to Dipper, taking in the very small distance between them.

“You’re hanging out with _her_?” He asked them, pointing an accusatory finger at Pacifica. She glanced at Dipper who frowned at his Grunkle.

“Yeah, so?” Star asked, turning completely to face him. “What’s the deal?” He gave one sharp laugh and pushed back the door. One stray ray of sunlight reflected off his glasses, turning them into little mirrors that blocked the view to his eyes.

“You’re new around here so let me let’cha in on some news. This girl is the daughter of a stuck up snoot and a lazy bitch. Put those two together and you get Pacifica Northwest, epitome of weakling, snob, and ugly. You think she’s your friend but then she’ll turn around and stab you in the back. She’s lied and cheated to get where she is, ain’t no doubt”

Dipper and Pacifica clutched each other’s arms, while Wendy and Mabel took a step forward, ready to fight.

“You take that back right now you smelly old man!” Mabel shouted, hands curling into fists. Star and Marco stared at him, eyes wide with fright of what might happen. Stan laughed again.

“Don’t tell me what to do, Shooting-uh I mean Mabel!” He snapped at her, and she flinched. His face lit up like he just remembered some great news. “Oh yeah, and then when they were still rich and Bill came to town, her father was ready to take him into his own house. Wait, what were his words again?” The question was directed to Pacifica whose face was starting to flush with anger and shame. She knew exactly what her father had said. Word for word.

_I would just like to say that as a rich capitalist I welcome your tyrannical rule…_

_Dad!_ She’d gasped, shocked that her father would say such a thing.

 _Not now sweetie,_ He’d said, waving her away. _The grown-ups are talking._

And just like that, she’d been reduced to nothing. The way she had been her whole life. The way it was happening right now. She couldn’t respond, her voice and eyes and throat thick with sobs and tears.

“Of course she couldn’t say anything because she was just a stupid, immature and ugly little girl. Ain’t that right _Pacifica Northwest._ ” Stan’s voice dripped with menace and sarcasm, each word a knife that stabbed deep in her heart, reopening wounds she thought she’d closed for good. She stumbled a step back, then another, arms wrapping around herself. Dipper whispered something, but she couldn’t hear over the rushing of blood in her ears. Tripping, she turned and fled, running away, away, away from the horror of everything, of her parents, of Bill, of Stan’s laugh ringing through the air. Away, away, away from the memories...

 

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The backyard was silent as the six of them stood, reliving every word that was just spoken. Dipper couldn’t help himself.

“What. The hell. Is _wrong_ with you?” He practically shouted. Stan shook his head to clear it and that single ray of sun finally disappeared behind a dark raincloud. His eyes were visible now and filled with confusion.

“What...what are you talkin’ about? Why’re we out here while it’s rainin’?” It had indeed begun to drizzle, and it was beginning to fall faster with every passing minute. With a scream, Dipper sailed at Grunkle Stan, waiting for the rush of satisfaction he would get of his knuckles colliding with his face. Arms wrapped around his waist and he was lifted into the air.

“Lemme go!” He screamed and thrashed in the hold.

“No,” a mature female voice said in his ear, and his heart plummeted. He wrapped his hands around the green flannel covered arms to pry them off of him, but Wendy wouldn’t budge.

“What just happened?” Stan said, still confused.

“Okay Grunkle Stan, this has gone far enough. How can you not remember something that you just did a minute ago?” Mabel shrieked, rushing to her Grunkle as if glaring at him would help him remember.

“I uh...I was just...Dipper and Marco were just helping out at the Shack ‘cuz I let Wendy have the day off. How’d you guys end up out here?”

“Do you seriously not remember what you just said to Pacifica?” Star’s voice was soft, as if anymore yelling would do more damage to Stan. She was clutching her wand and she turned to the Pines twins. “Is that true? Everything he just said? Is she...is Pacifica fake?” Dipper had finally wriggled out of Wendy’s grasp, and the lumberjack’s daughter set him on the ground. His hands were in fists and his now wet bangs were stuck to his forehead.

“No,” he growled. “It’s not true. She’s had a rough past, but in this town who hasn’t?” He looked around wildly at the forest behind her, the green of the trees becoming darker with the rain. “I-I have to go find her...” He said to nobody in particular, and he turned to run down the same path Pacifica had just run down a minute earlier.

 _Is Pacifica fake?_ Dipper scoffed at the idea. Pacifica was...so many things. Such a layered and complex person. It had taken him all summer to uncover all these little bright spots in her, that he was sure that nobody else in the world knew about. As he ran, peering under tree branches for a hidden, huddling figure, he thought about a conversation he’d had with her during one of their many night talks.

_“Do you have any plans for the future?” Pacifica asked suddenly. Her voice was quiet like she wasn’t sure if she wanted to ask it, because it meant she’d have to answer it herself. Dipper turned his head to look at the girl on her back next to him. They were side by side on the grass, staring at the gazillions of stars that poked through the sky._

_“Um, yeah I guess. Go to college, get a career, maybe start a family, I dunno. Why do you ask?” She let out a defeated sigh._

_“Do you think I could ever get out of this town?”_

_“Why wouldn’t you be able to?” Dipper asked._

_“Because the Northwests basically have a dynasty set up here. I feel like I’d be cheating my family if I just left. Plus after everything that’s happened with my family, I have no money to even get out of here. And I’m not_ smart _like you are. I can’t just magically pull a full ride out of my ass and go to the college of my dreams.” She sighed again. Dipper couldn’t help but feel the pain that she was in._

 _“Well...if there_ was _something you would do...what would it be? Where would you go?” She was silent, for so long that Dipper thought that she had fallen asleep, but once glance her her ice blue eyes that made his stomach flip told him that she hadn’t._

_“Pacifica?”_

_“Yeah, yeah, I heard you. I just...you’ll think I’m stuck-up.”_

_“I will not.”_ _  
_ _“You’ll think I’m a brat.”_

 _“I will_ not. _I’m sure whatever it is, it’ll be perfect for you.” She filled her lungs with the pine-sweet air, trying to stall as she figured out how to form her answer._

 _“You can’t judge me.”_ _  
_ _“Pacifica, I have never judged you.”_

_“Not since we were in middle school,” she reminded him, and he laughed._

_“Okay, but since then, I haven’t judged you, and I never will.” He propped himself on his elbow and looked into her eyes. He fought a blush as he took in her pale appearance, her eyes popping and her hair splayed around her like a halo. He locked his gaze with hers, and poured all his sincerity and honesty into the look. She broke the gaze and turned instead to the sky._

_“I...I want to go to New York,” she whispered, and Dipper figured that she’d say something like that. New York, Paris, Hollywood. He was silent as he waited for her to continue. “I want to be a model.” She said it with a kind of fierceness, like if she said it hard enough, it was destined to happen. He waited for her to say more, and she covered her face with her hands._

_“I’m sorry, it’s so cliché,” She said, her voice muffled through her fingers._

_“No, no, it’s not,” Dipper responded, gently prying her slim hands away from her face. “I think you’d be perfect for the job. I think it's 100% possible for you to go to New York, and you owe Gravity Falls nothing for the fact that you’re a Northwest. You are free to come and go as you please.” He was suddenly in awe of the determination she had for this. Here was this girl, with big dreams that nobody knew about, who was from a lumberjack town in the middle of nowhere. She could become a star. He paused to think, then, how many people’s dreams and aspirations were squandered because they couldn’t afford to get out of their town, or they had no motivation to actually get to where they wanted to be. He slid his hand beneath Pacifica’s and gave it a comforting squeeze. “I believe you can do it.” Pacifica turned her head and gave him a small smile._

_“Then you’d be the first.”_

Those last words repeated themselves over and over again in Dipper’s mind as he finally stopped in the forest path, bent over with his hands on his knees, gasping for air. He walked over to what looked like a dry spot, a place where four low lying branches knit together to create a dry and earthy place to sit. Unfortunately for him, the spot had already been claimed.

“Pacifica!” He exclaimed, rushing over to her side. She didn’t respond to him. She was sitting with her back against a tree, knees pulled up to her chest, and she was staring emotionlessly out into the pounding rain. Silent tears streaked from her eyes to her chin, where they dripped off and onto the dirt ground. Dipper crawled under the branches to offer his presence.

They said nothing, and Dipper waited for her to speak first, the way he always did. But this time around, Pacifica didn’t seem to want to say anything. So they sat, and sat, and sat, waiting for someone to break the silence. When she finally did speak, he was so surprised he almost jumped ten feet into the air.

“I’m a messed up person.” Another silence. He never interrupted her thoughts, but today didn’t seem like a normal day. “I am aren’t I?” Dipper still said nothing, and she smacked him angrily on the chest. “Admit it! You guys hate me! You only hang out with me because I’m pathetic and stupid and you think I need your pity or something!” After every sentence, she hit him again and again, until he finally gripped her wrist, holding her hand against his chest.

“Pacifica, you are far from perfect, but you are far from messed up too.”

“Shut up,” she sobbed, one hand covering her face, while the other was limp in Dipper’s grip. “I don’t want to listen to you.” Every cry that poured from her mouth broke his heart, and he tugged her toward him. She fell into him with no resist, burying her face into his shoulder. He continued to talk anyway.

“You a wonderful human being. You have so many dreams and aspirations that most of the people who have the opportunities that you want won’t even use them. You’re so strong to putting up with and standing up to your parents every single day.”

“I don’t stand up to them, I run away from them,” she wailed, and another sob racked her body. She’d wrapped her legs around his waist to be comfortable, and though she was crying, his stomach was flipping and his heart was pounding in his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around her body and held her closer.

“I wouldn’t call it running away as much as I would escape. But that’s one of the ways you stand up to them. You don’t fight back with words or fists. You fight back with Pacifica-ness, by being the person they don’t want you to be. They expect a perfect cut out princess from a storybook, but you’re more than just a face and a smile. You’re _somebody,_ just like everyone else is. A real, living, breathing person.” Pacifica’s tears had stopped falling, but the rain thrummed softly somewhere outside this little haven. She was now breathing quietly in his ear, hanging on to every word.

“Your parents just can’t see that. One of them is gone all the time, and the other lives in a drunken stupor. Their opinions mean nothing. What about what we, your closest friends think? What about what the rest of the town thinks? People wave to you nowadays. They didn’t do that before. Your smile is real. That didn’t happen before. You’re a changed person now Pacifica. And I…” He paused abruptly, and she pulled back to look at him. Her crystalline eyes were rimmed with red, and her cheeks were flushed, but she still looked beautiful.

“You what?” She whispered, her throat hoarse. When she spoke, her pink lips moved and it took all his willpower not to stare at them. He cleared his throat, not trusting himself to speak.

“I uh...I-I appreciate that.” It was becoming very very hard to think straight, with arms and legs wrapped around his body, his back pressing into a tree. He was cornered and there was no way out. Pacifica’s eyes narrowed slightly, and she leaned forward a tiny bit, closing the already minuscule space between them.

“That’s not what you were going to say,” she said, an accusing tone in her voice. One hand ran down the length of his arm, joining where his hand rested on her hip. She leaned in closer. “You know, you didn’t have to go overboard with all that stuff.”

“What do you mean? Everything I said was true. And I _do_ appreciate you.” She smiled then, practically glowing.

“I’ve changed?” She whispered, and he nodded.

“All the way around.” Now, there was only an inch or so between their lips. The next breath he took was one of hers.

“Dipper?”

“Mm?”

“I...I appreciate you too.” This time Dipper was the one to lean in, completely closing the gap. His lips met hers and the blood in his veins was replaced by lightning. Her lips were soft and inviting, like he was eating cotton candy and he never wanted to stop. He tilted his head back to get a better angle, and Pacifica wound her hands through his matted, wet hair, deepening the kiss. She tasted like salt and he tasted like rain. Dipper’s hands gripped her hips and he pulled her closer, so they were chest to chest. She nibbled at his lip, and he couldn’t help himself-he let out a tiny moan. Encouraged by his reaction, she took his bottom lip between her teeth, and it forced his mouth open. They explored one another for a bit, swaying together in their little hideout under the pine tree, where tiny droplets of water were finally dripping through the canopy of branches. One landed on Dipper’s flushed nose and he flinched, head hitting the tree trunk hard. Pacifica jumped a little, scared at his reaction.

“What-” She began, but her question was answered when Dipper swiped at a glistening spot on his nose. He looked down at her, her hair a tangled mess and her eyes shining brightly again.

“I’m sorry,” he said with a laugh as he tucked a lock behind her ear. “I ruined the moment, didn’t I?” She smiled and laid her head on his shoulder, sliding off him so she was no longer straddling him.

“That’s okay. I enjoyed it.”

“You know, we should probably get going,” Dipper said, a touch a worry in his voice. “Something’s happening with Grunkle Stan. I’m not sure what it is, but this isn’t the first time that he’s done something that he doesn’t remember.” Pacifica shuddered, moving closer to Dipper’s side. “You don’t have to come if you don’t-”

“No it’s okay. I’m older and mature now. I can deal with it.” He smiled at her and they stood together. As they walked back through the woods, hand in hand under the dripping branches, Pacifica asked, “What was it you were really going to say.”

Dipper leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

“That’s something that will be saved for another day.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GuyS WhATS GoiNG oN wItH GRunKle StAn???@F?D?!???/W/!?!?R?? I'll update when I can, first I have to like, know where this plot is going cuz I lost it again. Kudos, comments, feedback, criticism, it's all welcome here! Also please don't forget to check out my other work! I have lots of ideas for chapter fics in the far future, but for now my focus is here (and school and stuff.) Also I'm not really happy with the way the ending of the chapter turned out im really sorry i rushed a lot of this chapter and wrote it in a couple hours but i hope it suffices!!!!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY I HAVE NOT BEEN UPDATING I totally lost my muse and school is just UGH and there's so much frickle frackle going on in my life right now and I just feel really bad because I said that I wasn't going to be those authors that disappears forever but I WAS and I just...just here, take what I have to offer.

Mabel was standing by the screen door, peering out into the wet world. Rain droplets had gotten stuck in the tiny little squares of the mesh of the door, trapping tiny oceans in a box of wonder. 

“Mabel, why don’t you come and sit down inside?” A voice said behind her. “They’ll show up when they show up.” Mabel plopped cross-legged on the ground, an elbow on each knee, her chin in her hands. Wendy snorted and stalked off to the Mystery Shack, while the female Pines twin waited.

And waited.

And waited.

_ Jeez what were they doing out there? Making out till the end of eternity? _ Mabel instantly wanted to take the thought back as soon as it crossed her mind. Stan had been horrible to her. Maybe Dipper was still looking for her? Maybe he was trying to convince her to come back with him? Maybe he was walking her home? But she wouldn’t want to go home-Mabel knew that. What if Pacifica had gotten caught by the gnomes and they wanted to make  _ her _ their queen!? 

She stood, then sat back down again, slumped over.  _ Probably not,  _ she thought to herself. At that moment, two figures emerged from the shadows of the forest, the last bits of the gray clouds finally separating, allowing the sunshine and smiles and happiness to swallow Gravity Falls.

Mabel was so happy to see them that when she smacked the screen door open and ran to hug them, she didn’t even realize that they were hand in hand.

“Pacifica, oh my gosh, are you alright?!? Ugh, you’re soaked! We’ve got blankets and Pitt Cola and movies and all the goodies!” She threw her hands in the air as she said this, but then her smile faltered. “I mean, unless, um, you don’t want to come in I mean that’s fine too, I could-” 

“Mabel,” Dipper put a hand on her elbow, and she shut up. He turned to Pacifica. “I think Star and Marco are in the living room. I’ll be there in a sec.” Pacifica gave him a grateful look, shot Mabel a half-hearted smile, and ducked carefully into the Mystery Shack. The moment she disappeared around a corner, Mabel shoved her sleeved hands into her face and screamed softly.

“Dipper! Are you guys like, a thing?” She gasped suddenly and smacked him on the shoulder. “What took you so long to get back? Were you guys making out or something?” Dipper grimaced, and shot her a glance.

“No.” The word was too dragged out for him to be telling the truth.

Being a twin sometimes was the best.

“You’re totally lying.”

“I’m not Mabel, leave me alone.”

“C’mon, tell me what happened!!”

“Well first off she was crying.” Mabel deflated slightly.

“Oh yeah.” She looked up at her brother. “What are we going to do about it?” Dipper shrugged, running a hand through his already messy hair. Suspiciously messy hair. She squinted at him for a moment, before his voice brought her back again.

“I dunno Mabel. I don’t want to... _ suspect _ anything.” Mabel caught onto his meaning. “So I guess we’ll have to wait and see if anything weird happens.” Mabel laughed, grabbed his wrist and finally walked inside.

“This is Gravity Falls Dipstick. Everything’s weird here. It’d be weird if there was something normal in this town.” They walked into the living room to find Star and Marco snuggling together on the yellow sofa chair, while Pacifica was sitting on the floor in front of the TV; her damp blonde hair tumbling down her back.

“Normal,” Dipper explained, gesturing around the room. Three pairs of eyes, two blue and one brown, turned to blink at them.

“Magical princess,” Mabel pointed to Star, who grinned at them. “Pacifica Northwest.” Dipper nodded.

“Fair enough.” They sat down on either side of the blonde, and Mabel picked up the blanket that was on the ground by her. Dipper reached around Pacifica and tried to tug a corner free from Mabel’s grasp, but she tugged it back.

“No blanket for you,” she said, and he sighed. 

“This is our blanket. I deserve to have some of it shared with me.”

“What the heck? You live here too; you know where the other blankets are.” Dipper glared at her.

“Schooled,” Marco said from behind him, and Dipper elbowed the foot that was digging into his back. 

“Shut it Marco.” Star laughed and Dipper rolled his eyes.

“Then give it to Pacifica,” he said, gesturing to the girl who had hands wrapped around her arms.

“No Dipper, it’s fine,” she said.

“There, see? She said she’s fine,” and his twin turned to face the TV.

“Mabel!” No response. 

Dipper grunted and stood. 

“Alright, alright.” When he tried to walk out of the living room, he bumped into another being. “What…?” He stepped back and looked into Stan’s harrowed face. Another step back and he noticed the red fabric in his hands.

“Heya kiddo…” he addressed Pacifica. “You uh...you need this?”

Dipper pulled the blanket out of his grasp and muttered a quick thank you to his Grunkle. He came back over and draped it around Pacifica, sitting next to her as Stan stalked out of the room. 

Mabel pretended to keep her eyes on the screen and did her best not to react when Pacifica draped a corner of the blanket over her brother.

A wisp of a smile formed on her face anyway.

 

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“Do we have to do this  _ now _ ?” Star whined, rolling onto her back. “This isn’t due for like, another month.” 

Marco was on his stomach on the floor, worksheets and packets in front of him.

“We are  _ not _ procrastinating this Star. If we get this done earlier, we don’t have to freak out about it later.” Star put a chin in her hand.

“Or we could not do it at all like Janna does.”

“But then we wouldn’t get points for it. And that’s what this whole thing is for. Starting junior year off right.” Star rolled her eyes at his enthusiasm. He held a pencil out to her and she couldn’t resist sliding off the bed and working with him. 

It was hard to focus. She kept noticing little things about him-the crease between his eyebrows when he worked, the way he alternately tapped the eraser of his pencil on the paper and then on the floor, the way his hair flopped onto his forehead when his brow furrowed. Without thinking, she swiftly bent down and pressed a kiss to his tanned cheek, and his pencil skidded across the paper. Hearts glowing, Star ducked and focused on factoring a bajillion problems in a million different ways. 

It wasn’t long before she grew bored. And she started drawing tiny hearts along the margin of her lined loose-leaf paper. And then she started drawing cloudy borders around each math problem. And then she filled the hearts with “M+S”- _ wait what?? _ Star’s eyes slid to Marco, and found that he was working diligently, already twice as far as she was. She frantically turned the pencil around to erase all the little marks, heart ricocheting at her little girl antics. She would  _ not _ turn this into dumb puppy love. She would be strong and make him chase her and she would be the queen she could never be and-ah geez he was looking at her again. 

A knock at the door startled her out of her chocolate milk trance, and Mabel appeared.

“Hey guys! Your friends wanna hang out with you!” Star sat up and all but dashed to the doorway in a rush to drop her work. Marco sighed and started tidying up the papers for later, but a pale hand on his wrist yanked him away.

“C’mon safe kid!” Star shouted, grabbing her wand and following Mabel up the stairs to the Mystery Shack where Janna and Jackie waited, looking with boredom at the dusty shelves that wrapped around them.

“Alright friends. What’re we doing on this beautiful summer day?”

“Thanks Mabel,” Marco addressed her on their way out, and Mabel grinned.

“I dunno, Janna just wanted to wander around,” Jackie said, pointing to Janna.

“Yeah, in the forest!” Janna said, wiggling her fingers at Jackie. 

“Last time we were in the forest you started screaming when you saw a hand appear out of nowhere and then attach itself to me,” Marco pointed out. “It wasn’t even stuck on you and you were freaking out! And then you nearly sent me and Star to our deaths!” Star and Jackie giggled and Janna smirked, although there was a hint of an embarrassed flush peeking out at the base of her neck.

“You should be thanking me. I gave you plenty of time to have some  _ fun _ in there.” It was Marco’s turn to blush.

“There are plenty of other opportunities to have fun,” Star said defensively. When the words were processed, she immediately wanted to bury herself underground. Janna and Jackie grinned wickedly at the two of them.

“Staaar!!!” Marco groaned, and Star tried to backtrack.

“No, that’s not-I mean...It’s just...um…” Star bit her lip and looked helplessly at Marco. A snicker escaped him, and all four of them burst into laughter.

“Ah geez,” Marco said sheepishly, running a hand through his hair as the giggles died down.

“Anyways, I haven’t been to this part of the forest,” Janna said, gesturing to the trees next to her. “Are you guys ready?” The four friends grinned at each other, pushing aside branches and stepping over shrubs onto a small path that led into cool shade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is definitely half of what I wanted this next chapter to be, so I apologize for the short length. I've had it written for a while but I've never had time to sit down and fully write about the next part so I was like "screw it." I'm also DYING BECAUSE OF S3 SVTFOE WHO ELSE IS WITH ME ON THIS??? So yeah you'll definitely see a lot more starco than dipcifica in the future since I've been neglecting them TT_TT my children. Comments kudos and criticism is welcome (also if anyone has predictions for what will happen next please give them to me because I could actually turn them into ideas).


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